NYISO Passes Comprehensive Reliability Audit

Meets All National and Regional Reliability Standards and Requirements

RENSSELAER, NY (02/09/2011)(readMedia)-- The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) today announced the successful results of a comprehensive reliability audit conducted by the Northeast Power Coordinating Council, Inc. (NPCC). The audit found the NYISO to be compliant with all 38 reliability standards and the 156 requirements of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) applicable to the NYISO. The audit was conducted from December 6 to December 9, 2010.

"The NYISO prides itself on commitment to excellence in operations and maintaining the reliability of New York's bulk electric transmission system," said NYISO President and CEO Stephen G. Whitley. "This comprehensive audit is not something an organization like the NYISO can just prepare to pass like a test; compliance must be engrained in our culture. Our team works very hard every day to exceed these standards, and the results of this audit underscore that commitment."

In conducting the audit, the team reviewed data, information and evidence submitted in the form of policies, procedures, e-mails, logs, studies and data sheets, which were validated, substantiated and cross-checked for accuracy as appropriate. In addition to auditing compliance with standards and requirements, the audit team also reviewed the NYISO's compliance culture.

"During all contact, the NYISO staff was professional in their approach to compliance and understood the importance of the compliance and its role in maintaining reliability and security," the audit report concluded. "For those that participated in the audit, it was clear that all were committed to both compliance and the improved reliability and security that a strong compliance program leads to."

A copy of the public Compliance Audit Report is available at www.nyiso.com.

About NERC

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation's (NERC) mission is to ensure the reliability of the North American bulk power system. NERC is the electric reliability organization (ERO) certified by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to establish and enforce reliability standards for the bulk-power system. NERC develops and enforces reliability standards; assesses adequacy annually via a 10-year forecast, and summer and winter forecasts; monitors the bulk power system; and educates, trains and certifies industry personnel. ERO activities in Canada related to the reliability of the bulk-power system are recognized and overseen by the appropriate governmental authorities in that country.

About NPCC

Northeast Power Coordinating Council, Inc. (NPCC) is a 501(c) (6) not-for-profit corporation in the state of New York responsible for promoting and improving the reliability of the international, interconnected bulk power system in Northeastern North America. NPCC carries out its mission through (i) the development of regional reliability standards and compliance assessment and enforcement of continent-wide and regional reliability standards,

coordination of system planning, design and operations, and assessment of reliability, (collectively, "regional entity activities"), and (ii) the establishment of regionally-specific criteria, and monitoring and enforcement of compliance with such criteria (collectively, "criteria services activities"). NPCC provides the functions and services for Northeastern North America of a cross-border regional entity through its regional entity division, as well as regionally-specific criteria services for Northeastern North America through its criteria services division.

The NPCC geographic region includes the State of New York and the six New England states as well as the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Québec and the Maritime provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Overall, NPCC covers an area of nearly 1.2 million square miles, populated by more than 55 million people.