Order No. 919; Virtualization Reliability Standards

Document 2026-05716 is a Final Rule published by the Department of Energy in the Federal Register on March 24, 2026, with an effective date of May 26, 2026. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) approves 11 modified Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Reliability Standards. The Commission also approves four new definitions and 18 modified definitions in the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Glossary of Terms Used in Reliability Standards. To address concerns regarding a proposed self-implementing exception phrase ("per system capability") that appears in multiple provisions of the modified CIP Reliability Standards, the Commission directs NERC to develop a clear set of criteria that satisfies the fundamental needs for oversight, consistency, and alternative mitigation when a responsible entity invokes the per system capability exception. NERC, the Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization (ERO), submitted the proposed modifications to update the CIP Reliability Standards to enable the application of virtualization and other new technologies in a secure manner. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/24/2026-05716/order-no-919-virtualization-reliability-standards.

No. Document 2026-05716 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.