Summit examines bulk power system’s future

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) fifth Reliability Leadership Summit focused on identifying and prioritizing emerging risks, as well as developing approaches to managing the bulk power system’s future.

“The collaboration between industry and government at each Reliability Leadership Summit is a key focal point in the Reliability Issues Steering Committee’s (RISC) process to identify and solve bulk power system risks in North America,” Mark Lauby, senior vice president and chief reliability officer at NERC, said. “The summit also provides participants the opportunity to discuss known bulk power system risks as well as identify entirely new risks that must be mitigated.”

Lauby said the summit dialogue informs critical planning decisions for the bulk power system as the industry moves toward a reliable and secure future with different resources, technologies, and operating characteristics.

Summit topics focused on current and emerging risks to the reliability and security of the grid; the rapid shift in generation resources; accelerated technology deployment; regulatory and policymaking in an era of unprecedented bulk power system change; reliably integrating record levels of renewable generation into electricity markets; and assuring adequate fuel supplies for power plants.

Panel participants included a mix of domestic and Canadian utilities as well as state and provincial utility regulators, American market operators and government agencies.

Discussions will be used to update the reliability risk profiles developed by the RISC, which will then be presented to the NERC Board of Trustees at its May 8–9 meeting in St. Louis.