BY CATHY CASH
The country’s electric grid, with its hundreds of thousands of miles of high-voltage power lines, is often described as a bowl of spaghetti. Yet 99.9% of the time, when you flick a switch, the lights come on.
So, who is the bulk power system’s chief detangler?
That would be the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the official watchdog of the North American bulk power system. The international nonprofit, known as NERC, sets mandatory reliability standards for all users, owners and operators of the electric transmission grid.
Monitoring the grid
To maintain reliability, NERC oversees and evaluates grid conditions with support from six regional reliability organizations that serve as its on-the-ground partners in identifying potential problem areas. Each summer and winter, NERC releases seasonal grid assessments that evaluate whether electricity supply is sufficient to meet expected demand and highlight regions at risk of shortfalls.
These periodic reports analyze conditions that can increase demand, such as heat waves and severe cold, as well as factors that can constrain generation, including fuel or equipment shortages. They also include recommendations to address current risks and help prevent future problems. When unforeseen threats emerge, NERC issues special assessments as needed.
Each year, the organization also publishes a long-term grid assessment that looks ahead 10 years to identify innovations and emerging challenges that could affect the reliability of the interconnected electric transmission network.
Providing the electric power industry with timely insight into grid reliability, potential power shortfalls and strategies to address them is essential to keeping the lights on.
Strengthening reliability and security
NERC does more than monitor the grid. The organization holds workshops and technical conferences, trains industry personnel on maintaining a secure grid, and audits owners and operators of the bulk power system to ensure they meet all reliability standards.
NERC also operates the 24/7 Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC), which provides the power industry with the latest information on cyber threats, trends and potential solutions through alerts and advisories. E-ISAC also develops and conducts GridEx, the largest cyber and physical grid security exercise in North America.
Overall, NERC has come a long way from its humble beginnings as an industry-led voluntary grid watchdog. The Northeast blackout of 1965, which affected 30 million people, prompted electric utilities to create the organization to improve coordination across the electric grid.
Today, NERC serves as the nation’s Electric Reliability Organization, overseeing the planning and operation of the bulk power system throughout North America. Empowered by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, NERC develops mandatory, enforceable reliability standards backed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Utilities like Iowa’s electric cooperatives, for the most part, are not regulated by NERC. Instead, state agencies oversee the distribution power lines that deliver electricity to homes, farms and businesses. However, NERC’s oversight of the bulk power system is critical to maintaining reliable service across the country, including rural communities.
Electric cooperatives that participate in NERC activities advocate for regulations that help co-ops plan, maintain and operate a reliable electric grid.
Why it matters to co-op members
So, how does NERC affect you as a member of an electric cooperative?
NERC helps ensure the electric grid remains reliable, secure and resilient for the millions of people who depend on it every day. By developing and enforcing reliability standards, monitoring the bulk power system and identifying emerging risks, NERC plays a vital role in supporting the safe delivery of electricity across North America.
For electric cooperative communities, NERC’s work provides greater confidence that homes, schools, farms and businesses will continue to have reliable power around the clock.
Cathy Cash writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
