NERC is a non-profit organization that sets industry standards, educates and trains industry personnel and provides guidelines for grids. You can find the details on NERC and NERC reliability standards in our article.
What is NERC?
NERC refers to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. It is a non-profit organization whose main aim is to provide necessary regulations that reduce the risks regarding reliability and security.
In addition to setting regulations, responsibilities of NERC also includes overseeing and enforcing compliance with industry standards and regulations, assessing and inspecting grids in regards to the efficiency and adequacy of resource use, educating, training and certifying personnel for the industry.
When a significant issue regarding the power systems occurs, NERC has the duty of investigating this incident in order to detect the reason and prevent further disturbances.
Furthermore, NERC also runs the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (also known as E-ISAC). E-ISAC provides threat intelligence regarding cyber and physical security and offers expertise and consultancy in these areas.
What are the NERC Reliability Standards?
NERC Reliability Standards aim to regulate and ensure the quality of North American bulk power system. They set the minimum requirements regarding the reliability, efficiency, safety and risk management of operations that provide bulk power within the borders of the United States, Canada and Mexico.
NERC Reliability Standards define the requirements for both planning process and operations of the bulk power providers and systems in the areas mentioned above. If your business operates in a field concerning the distribution or production of bulk power, you need to make sure that your operations comply with the NERC Reliability Standards. Below you can find further information.
Standards Regarding Resource and Demand Balancing (BAL)
- Real Power Balancing Control Performance
- Primary Frequency Response in the ERCOT Region
- Disturbance Control Standard – Contingency Reserve for Recovery from a Balancing Contingency Event
- Contingency Reserve
- Frequency Response and Frequency Bias Setting
- Automatic Time Error Correction
- Balancing Authority Control
- Planning Resource Adequacy Analysis, Assessment and Documentation
Standards Regarding Communications (COM)
- Communications
- Operating Personnel Communications Protocols
Standards Regarding Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP)
- Cyber Security — BES Cyber System Categorization
- Cyber Security — Security Management Controls
- Cyber Security — Personnel & Training
- Cyber Security — Electronic Security Perimeter(s)
- Cyber Security — Physical Security of BES Cyber Systems
- Cyber Security — System Security Management
- Cyber Security — Incident Response Planning and Reporting
- Cyber Security — Recovery Plans for BES Cyber Systems
- Cyber Security — Configuration Change Management and Vulnerability Assessments
- Cyber Security — Information Protection
- Physical Security
Standards Regarding Emergency Preparedness and Operations (EOP)
- Event Reporting
- System Restoration from Blackstart Resources
- System Restoration Coordination
- Loss of Control Center Functionality
- Geomagnetic Disturbance Operations
- Emergency Operations
Standards Regarding Facilities Design, Connections, and Maintenance (FAC)
- Facility Interconnection Requirements
- Facility Interconnection Studies
- Transmission Vegetation Management
- Facility Ratings
- System Operating Limits Methodology for the Planning Horizon
- System Operating Limits Methodology for the Operations Horizon
- Assessment of Transfer Capability for the Near-Term Transmission Planning Horizon
- Establish and Communicate System Operating Limits
- Transmission Maintenance
Standards Regarding Interchange Scheduling and Coordination (INT)
- Dynamic Transfers
- Evaluation of Interchange Transactions
- Implementation of Interchange
- Interchange Initiation and Modification for Reliability
Standards Regarding Interconnection Reliability Operations and Coordination (IRO)
- Reliability Coordination – Responsibilities
- Reliability Coordination – Monitoring and Analysis
- Reliability Coordination — Transmission Loading Relief (TLR)
- Transmission Loading Relief Procedure for the Eastern Interconnection
- Qualified Path Unscheduled Flow (USF) Relief
- Reliability Coordinator Operational Analyses and Real-time Assessments
- Reliability Coordinator Actions to Operate Within IROLs
- Reliability Coordinator Data Specification and Collection
- Coordination Among Reliability Coordinators
- Outage Coordination
- Reliability Coordinator Real-time Reliability Monitoring and Analysis Capabilities
Standards Regarding Modeling, Data, and Analysis (MOD)
- Available Transmission System Capability
- Capacity Benefit Margin
- Transmission Reliability Margin Calculation Methodology
- Providing Interruptible Demands and Direct Control Load Management Data to System Operators and Reliability Coordinators
- Verification and Data Reporting of Generator Real and Reactive Power Capability and Synchronous Condenser Reactive Power Capability
- Verification of Models and Data for Generator Excitation Control System or Plant Volt/Var Control Functions
- Verification of Models and Data for Turbine/Governor and Load Control or Active Power/Frequency Control Functions
- Area Interchange Methodology
- Rated System Path Methodology
- Flowgate Methodology
- Demand and Energy Data
- Data for Power System Modeling and Analysis
- Steady-State and Dynamic System Model Validation
