North American Electric Reliability Council
Encyclopedia
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), a nonprofit corporation based in Atlanta, GA, was formed on March 28, 2006, as the successor to the North American Electric Reliability Council (also known as NERC). The original NERC was formed on June 1, 1968, by the electric utility industry to promote the reliability and adequacy of bulk power transmission in the electric utility systems of North America
. NERC's mission states that it is to "ensure that the bulk power system in North America is reliable."
NERC oversees eight regional reliability entities and encompasses all of the interconnected power systems
of the contiguous United States
, Canada
and a portion of Baja California
in Mexico
.
NERC's major responsibilities include working with all stakeholders to develop standards for power system operation, monitoring and enforcing compliance with those standards, assessing resource adequacy, and providing educational and training resources as part of an accreditation program to ensure power system operators remain qualified and proficient. NERC also investigates and analyzes the causes of significant power system disturbances in order to help prevent future events.
NERC also provides for critical infrastructure protection
(NERC CIP).
and Thomas Edison
, prior to the turn of the century were isolated central stations which served small pockets of customers independently of each other. As some of these power systems grew to cover larger geographic areas, it became possible to connect previously isolated systems. This allowed neighboring systems to share generation and voltage stability resources, providing mutual benefit to each side. However, tying power systems together with these early interconnections also introduced the risk that a single significant disturbance could collapse all of the systems tied to the interconnection. Generally it was decided that the benefits outweighed the risks, and by 1915 interconnections began to flourish and grow in size. By the end of the 1960s there were virtually no isolated power systems remaining in the lower forty-eight states and southern Canada; practically all power companies were attached to large interconnections.
In 1962, when the Eastern Interconnection
was established in its current form, The Interconnected Systems Group (composed of Southern and Midwestern utility companies), the PJM Interconnection
, and the Canada-United States Eastern Interconnection (CANUSE)
formed the Interconnection Coordination Committee to recommend an informal operations structure, which led to the formation of the North American Power Systems Interconnection Committee (NAPSIC). NAPSIC eventually grew to also include the Texas Interconnection
and most of the companies in what is today the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)
, operating within the Western Interconnection
.
On November 9, 1965, a relatively minor system disturbance triggered a power system protection component that was not properly configured. The interconnection was operating near peak capacity due to the extreme cold weather and high heating demand, and was therefore more vulnerable than usual. The small initial outage quickly cascaded
into the Northeast Blackout of 1965
. This disturbance revealed the extent that interconnections had evolved without adequate high-level planning and operating oversight to try to prevent such events, and that interconnected power systems frequently had varying operating standards and procedures developed somewhat independently by each member on the interconnection. Restoration efforts were also partially hampered due to the lack of common practices and coordination procedures. Furthermore, power system protection schemes were often designed with only a local power system's design in mind, meaning that they might misoperate in response to protection schemes activating in neighboring systems. This disturbance revealed the necessity to develop common operating and protection standards as well as plans to effectively coordinate power system restoration efforts.
The Electric Reliability Act of 1967, passed due to the political pressure and fallout from the 1965 blackout, was a significant turning point in the arena of electric reliability in North America. Initially, ten regional reliability councils were created by groups of interconnected power systems, which collectively covered the entire footprints of the major North American interconnections, and NERC was then formed as a more formalized successor to NAPSIC to spearhead reliability efforts and assist the regional councils by developing common operating policies and procedures as well as training resources and requirements.
Although significant disturbances continued to occasionally occur, such as the New York City blackout of 1977
, NERC undoubtedly played a significant role in minimizing the impact and frequency of these events. It is difficult to quantify this success because it is impossible to know how many disturbances were prevented by the influence of NERC and the reliability councils.
With the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, an "Electric Reliability Organization" was created to develop and enforce compliance with mandatory reliability standards in the U.S. This non-governmental, "self-regulatory organization" was created in recognition of the interconnected and international nature of the bulk power grid. In 2006, NERC applied for and was granted this designation.
Today, NERC's standards are mandatory and enforceable throughout the 50 United States and several provinces in Canada
. Entities in the U.S. found to be in violation of a standard can be subject to fines of up to $1 million per day per violation.
, the Energy Policy Act of 2005
authorized the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to designate a national Electric Reliability Organization (ERO). On July 20, 2006, FERC issued an order certifying NERC as the ERO for the United States. Prior to being the National ERO, NERC's guidelines for power system operation and accreditation were referred to as Policies, for which compliance was strongly encouraged yet ultimately voluntary. NERC has worked with all stakeholders over the past several years to revise its Policies into Standards, and now has authority to enforce those standards on power system entities operating in the United States
, as well as several provinces in Canada, by way of significant financial penalties for noncompliance. Efforts between NERC and the Canadian and Mexican governments are underway to obtain comparable authority for NERC to enforce its standards on the NERC member systems residing outside of the United States.
.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. NERC's mission states that it is to "ensure that the bulk power system in North America is reliable."
NERC oversees eight regional reliability entities and encompasses all of the interconnected power systems
Wide area synchronous grid
A wide area synchronous grid, also called an "interconnection" in North America, is a power grid at a regional scale or greater that operates at a synchronized frequency and is electrically tied together during normal system conditions...
of the contiguous United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and a portion of Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
NERC's major responsibilities include working with all stakeholders to develop standards for power system operation, monitoring and enforcing compliance with those standards, assessing resource adequacy, and providing educational and training resources as part of an accreditation program to ensure power system operators remain qualified and proficient. NERC also investigates and analyzes the causes of significant power system disturbances in order to help prevent future events.
NERC also provides for critical infrastructure protection
Critical Infrastructure Protection
Critical infrastructure protection is a concept that relates to the preparedness and response to serious incidents that involve the critical infrastructure of a region or nation....
(NERC CIP).
Origins of NERC
Early electric power systems, such as those installed by George WestinghouseGeorge Westinghouse
George Westinghouse, Jr was an American entrepreneur and engineer who invented the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry. Westinghouse was one of Thomas Edison's main rivals in the early implementation of the American electricity system...
and Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
, prior to the turn of the century were isolated central stations which served small pockets of customers independently of each other. As some of these power systems grew to cover larger geographic areas, it became possible to connect previously isolated systems. This allowed neighboring systems to share generation and voltage stability resources, providing mutual benefit to each side. However, tying power systems together with these early interconnections also introduced the risk that a single significant disturbance could collapse all of the systems tied to the interconnection. Generally it was decided that the benefits outweighed the risks, and by 1915 interconnections began to flourish and grow in size. By the end of the 1960s there were virtually no isolated power systems remaining in the lower forty-eight states and southern Canada; practically all power companies were attached to large interconnections.
In 1962, when the Eastern Interconnection
Eastern Interconnection
The Eastern Interconnection is one of the two major alternating current power grids in North America. The other major interconnection is the Western Interconnection...
was established in its current form, The Interconnected Systems Group (composed of Southern and Midwestern utility companies), the PJM Interconnection
PJM Interconnection
PJM Interconnection LLC is a Regional Transmission Organization which is part of the Eastern Interconnection grid operating an electric transmission system serving all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,...
, and the Canada-United States Eastern Interconnection (CANUSE)
Northeast Power Coordinating Council
The Northeast Power Coordinating Council was formed January 19, 1966, as a successor to the Canada–United States Eastern Interconnection . NPCC is one of nine regional electric reliability councils under North American Electric Reliability Corporation authority. NERC and the regional...
formed the Interconnection Coordination Committee to recommend an informal operations structure, which led to the formation of the North American Power Systems Interconnection Committee (NAPSIC). NAPSIC eventually grew to also include the Texas Interconnection
Texas Interconnection
The Texas Interconnection is one of the three minor alternating current power grids in North America. The other two minor interconnections are the Québec Interconnection and the Alaska Interconnection...
and most of the companies in what is today the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)
Western Electricity Coordinating Council
The Western Electricity Coordinating Council was formed on April 18, 2002, from the merger of the Western Systems Coordinating Council which itself was formed on August 14, 1967, the Southwest Regional Transmission Association , and Western Regional Transmission Association...
, operating within the Western Interconnection
Western Interconnection
The Western Interconnection is one of the two major alternating current power grids in North America. The other major wide area synchronous grid is the Eastern Interconnection...
.
On November 9, 1965, a relatively minor system disturbance triggered a power system protection component that was not properly configured. The interconnection was operating near peak capacity due to the extreme cold weather and high heating demand, and was therefore more vulnerable than usual. The small initial outage quickly cascaded
Cascading failure
A cascading failure is a failure in a system of interconnected parts in which the failure of a part can trigger the failure of successive parts.- Cascading failure in power transmission :...
into the Northeast Blackout of 1965
Northeast Blackout of 1965
The Northeast blackout of 1965 was a significant disruption in the supply of electricity on November 9, 1965, affecting Ontario, Canada and Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey in the United States...
. This disturbance revealed the extent that interconnections had evolved without adequate high-level planning and operating oversight to try to prevent such events, and that interconnected power systems frequently had varying operating standards and procedures developed somewhat independently by each member on the interconnection. Restoration efforts were also partially hampered due to the lack of common practices and coordination procedures. Furthermore, power system protection schemes were often designed with only a local power system's design in mind, meaning that they might misoperate in response to protection schemes activating in neighboring systems. This disturbance revealed the necessity to develop common operating and protection standards as well as plans to effectively coordinate power system restoration efforts.
The Electric Reliability Act of 1967, passed due to the political pressure and fallout from the 1965 blackout, was a significant turning point in the arena of electric reliability in North America. Initially, ten regional reliability councils were created by groups of interconnected power systems, which collectively covered the entire footprints of the major North American interconnections, and NERC was then formed as a more formalized successor to NAPSIC to spearhead reliability efforts and assist the regional councils by developing common operating policies and procedures as well as training resources and requirements.
Although significant disturbances continued to occasionally occur, such as the New York City blackout of 1977
New York City blackout of 1977
The New York City blackout of 1977 was an electricity blackout affected most of New York City from July 13, 1977 to July 14, 1977. The only neighborhoods in New York City that were not affected were in southern Queens, and neighborhoods of the Rockaways, which are part of the Long Island Lighting...
, NERC undoubtedly played a significant role in minimizing the impact and frequency of these events. It is difficult to quantify this success because it is impossible to know how many disturbances were prevented by the influence of NERC and the reliability councils.
NERC today
Out of its long history, NERC developed a complex committee structure which brings together hundreds of industry expert volunteers in nearly 50 committees, sub-committees, task forces, and working groups considering issues from wind and renewable power integration to education to demand-side management and energy efficiency. NERC's role in raising awareness of reliability issues and creating the impetus to address them is intended to improve reliability every day.With the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, an "Electric Reliability Organization" was created to develop and enforce compliance with mandatory reliability standards in the U.S. This non-governmental, "self-regulatory organization" was created in recognition of the interconnected and international nature of the bulk power grid. In 2006, NERC applied for and was granted this designation.
Today, NERC's standards are mandatory and enforceable throughout the 50 United States and several provinces in Canada
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
. Entities in the U.S. found to be in violation of a standard can be subject to fines of up to $1 million per day per violation.
Major interconnections
- The Eastern InterconnectionEastern InterconnectionThe Eastern Interconnection is one of the two major alternating current power grids in North America. The other major interconnection is the Western Interconnection...
covers most of eastern North America, extending from the foot of the Rocky MountainsRocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
to the Atlantic seaboard, excluding most of Texas. The Eastern Interconnection is tied to the Western Interconnection via high voltage DCDirect currentDirect current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
transmission facilities and also has ties to non-NERC systems in northern Canada. The reliability councils within the Eastern Interconnection are:- Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC)Florida Reliability Coordinating CouncilThe Florida Reliability Coordinating Council is one of 8 Regional Entities delegated authority to insure reliability by North American Electric Reliability Corporation in North American and was formed on September 16, 1996. The area served by FRCC was previously served by SERC Reliability...
- Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO)Midwest Reliability OrganizationThe Midwest Reliability Organization began operations on January 1, 2005, as the successor to the Mid-continent Area Power Pool , which was formed in 1965. MRO is one of nine regional electric reliability councils under North American Electric Reliability Corporation authority...
- Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC)Northeast Power Coordinating CouncilThe Northeast Power Coordinating Council was formed January 19, 1966, as a successor to the Canada–United States Eastern Interconnection . NPCC is one of nine regional electric reliability councils under North American Electric Reliability Corporation authority. NERC and the regional...
- ReliabilityFirst Corporation (RFC)ReliabilityfirstReliabilityFirst Corporation is one of the eight Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved Regional Reliability Organizations responsible for ensuring the reliability of the North American bulk power system, pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005...
- SERC Reliability Corporation (SERC)SERC Reliability CorporationThe SERC Reliability Corporation is one of nine regional electric reliability councils under North American Electric Reliability Corporation authority. NERC and the regional reliability councils were formed following the Northeast Blackout of 1965. SERC was formed on April 29, 2005, as the...
- Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP)Southwest Power PoolThe Southwest Power Pool is the oldest North American Reliability Organization still in operation. SPP's story began in the early days of WWII, when America was furiously ramping up production of weapons and military supplies. After entering the War, the USA had an immediate and crucial need to...
- Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC)
- The Western InterconnectionWestern InterconnectionThe Western Interconnection is one of the two major alternating current power grids in North America. The other major wide area synchronous grid is the Eastern Interconnection...
covers most of western North America, from the Rocky MountainsRocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
to the Pacific coast. It is tied to the Eastern Interconnection at six points, and also has ties to non-NERC systems in northern Canada and Northwestern Mexico. The reliability council for the Western Interconnection is:- Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)Western Electricity Coordinating CouncilThe Western Electricity Coordinating Council was formed on April 18, 2002, from the merger of the Western Systems Coordinating Council which itself was formed on August 14, 1967, the Southwest Regional Transmission Association , and Western Regional Transmission Association...
- Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)
Minor interconnections
- The Texas InterconnectionTexas InterconnectionThe Texas Interconnection is one of the three minor alternating current power grids in North America. The other two minor interconnections are the Québec Interconnection and the Alaska Interconnection...
covers most of the state of TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It is tied to the Eastern Interconnection at two points, and also has ties to non-NERC systems in Mexico. The reliability council for the Texas Interconnection is:- Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
- The Québec InterconnectionQuébec InterconnectionThe Québec Interconnection is one of the three minor alternating current power grids in North America. The other two minor interconnections are the Texas Interconnection and the Alaska Interconnection...
covers the province of QuébecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and is tied to the Eastern Interconnection at two points. Despite being a functionally separate interconnection, the Québec Interconnection is often considered to be part of the Eastern Interconnection. The reliability council for the Québec Interconnection is:- Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC)Northeast Power Coordinating CouncilThe Northeast Power Coordinating Council was formed January 19, 1966, as a successor to the Canada–United States Eastern Interconnection . NPCC is one of nine regional electric reliability councils under North American Electric Reliability Corporation authority. NERC and the regional...
- Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC)
- The Alaska Interconnection covers a portion of the state of AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and is not tied to any other interconnections. Due to its isolated nature, the Alaska Interconnection is not generally counted among North America's interconnections. The reliability council for the Alaska Interconnection is:- Alaska Systems Coordinating Council (ASCC)Alaska Systems Coordinating CouncilThe Alaska Systems Coordinating Council formed in 1983, and serves the two isolated interconnections within the State of Alaska. The Alaska Systems Coordinating Council is an affiliate North American Electric Reliability Corporation member....
, an affiliate member of NERC
- Alaska Systems Coordinating Council (ASCC)
NERC Authority
As part of the fallout of the Northeast Blackout of 2003Northeast Blackout of 2003
The Northeast blackout of 2003 was a widespread power outage that occurred throughout parts of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Ontario, Canada on Thursday, August 14, 2003, just before 4:10 p.m....
, the Energy Policy Act of 2005
Energy Policy Act of 2005
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 is a bill passed by the United States Congress on July 29, 2005, and signed into law by President George W. Bush on August 8, 2005, at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico...
authorized the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to designate a national Electric Reliability Organization (ERO). On July 20, 2006, FERC issued an order certifying NERC as the ERO for the United States. Prior to being the National ERO, NERC's guidelines for power system operation and accreditation were referred to as Policies, for which compliance was strongly encouraged yet ultimately voluntary. NERC has worked with all stakeholders over the past several years to revise its Policies into Standards, and now has authority to enforce those standards on power system entities operating in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as well as several provinces in Canada, by way of significant financial penalties for noncompliance. Efforts between NERC and the Canadian and Mexican governments are underway to obtain comparable authority for NERC to enforce its standards on the NERC member systems residing outside of the United States.
Cyber warfare
In April 2009, NERC issued a public notice that warns that the Electrical Grid is not adequately protected from cyber-warfareCyber-warfare
Cyberwarfare refers to politically motivated hacking to conduct sabotage and espionage. It is a form of information warfare sometimes seen as analogous to conventional warfare although this analogy is controversial for both its accuracy and its political motivation.Government security expert...
.
See also
- Critical infrastructure protectionCritical Infrastructure ProtectionCritical infrastructure protection is a concept that relates to the preparedness and response to serious incidents that involve the critical infrastructure of a region or nation....
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
- NERC TagNERC TagA NERC Tag, also commonly referred to as an E-Tag, represents a transaction on the North American bulk electricity market scheduled to flow within, between or across electric utility company territories...
Energy Transaction tracking application - V2G