Modules · Compliance studies · Module 023
PRC-005-6 Protection System Maintenance
The Protection System Maintenance Program: component types, maintenance activities, intervals and the records that prove them.
About this module
What this module covers.
This module develops your compliance procedure for NERC PRC-005-6, Protection System, Automatic Reclosing, and Sudden Pressure Relaying Maintenance, and applies it at each applicable plant. PRC-005-6 requires the Generator Owner to establish a Protection System Maintenance Program (PSMP) that documents component types, maintenance activities, and maximum maintenance intervals for protective relays, communications systems, voltage/current sensing devices, station DC supply, control circuitry, automatic reclosing components, and sudden pressure relaying. This module covers development of the PSMP and compliance procedure, and implementation at each applicable plant.
Module: 023
Kind: Compliance studies
Governing body: NERC
Applies to: Operating plants
Typical time: About one week, all in
Dashboard capabilities
- Automated Compliance Workflow for PRC-005-6
Support services
What GridStrong does inside this module.
Task 1: Develop Compliance Procedure
- Create an audit-ready Protection System Maintenance Program (PSMP) and compliance procedure for meeting the PRC-005-6 requirements, working collaboratively across engineering, field services, and compliance departments. This includes:
- Identifying applicable assets, functions, SMEs, roles, responsibilities, and ownership
- Determining specific actions and evidence to demonstrate compliance with specific requirements and measures
- Conduct a gap analysis comparing current practices versus the standard requirements, identifying missing processes, incomplete documentation, any staff training needed, etc.
- Develop clear step-by-step procedures for PRC-005-6 that align with internal controls and documentation policies, including maintenance activities and intervals per component type (Tables 1 through 5)
- Establish compliance timelines that align with standard implementation deadlines
- Define and determine specific compliance evidence per site
Task 2: Implementation of Compliance Procedure at each plant
- Gather all applicable documentation, models, data, etc. for each plant, including Protection System component inventory, battery types, monitoring/alarming paths, and prior maintenance records
- Conduct a thorough review of all existing plant data and documentation and compare against standard requirements and associated compliance procedures
- Recommend changes needed to meet NERC PRC-005-6 requirements, including any extended maintenance intervals justified by monitoring or a performance-based program
- Identify and explain the compliance timelines needed to implement recommended changes
Final deliverables
- Protection System Maintenance Program and compliance procedure for PRC-005-6.
- Compliance report per plant documenting component inventory, maintenance intervals, findings, and recommendations.
What we need from you
- Your Protection System component inventory including protective relays, communications systems, voltage/current sensing devices, DC supply (VLA, VRLA, NiCad, non-battery-based), control circuitry, automatic reclosing components, and sudden pressure relaying.
- Existing PSMP documentation, maintenance records, and monitoring/alarming configuration.
- Any performance-based program documentation.
Assumptions and considerations
How the scope is bounded.
- You supply all required documentation and access to engineering and field services SMEs.
- We will use engineering judgment and best practices to support compliance preparedness.
Other modules
Every module runs on the same record.
Run this module on one site.
Tell us the plant and the deadline. An engineer confirms the inputs, the schedule and what the Dashboard needs from you.