NERC introduces new resources to help industry better understand grid transformation

The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) has developed several resources to help the industry better understand the transformation of the electric grid in North America.

The grid is undergoing a rapid transformation to its resource mix, adding increasing amounts of renewable generation — wind, solar, battery storage, and hybrid plants. While these inverter-based resources present new opportunities for the grid, they also introduce instability and potential risks to the system.

Several years ago, NERC created the ERO, which stands for Electric Reliability Organization, Enterprise. The ERO Enterprise has taken action since then to support the reliable integration of inverter-based resources to the grid, addressing emerging reliability risks related to inverter-based resources. Further, NERC’s Inverter-Based Resource Performance Task Force (IRPTF) and System Planning Impacts of Distributed Energy Resources Working Group (SPIDERWG) have produced multiple resources — including disturbance reports and reliability guidelines — to provide industry and stakeholders with information to reliably integrate these new technologies.

Recently, NERC added two new resources — Inverter-Based Resource Activities and Distributed Energy Resource Activities — to the Initiatives tab on NERC.com. These resources are quick reference guides that consolidate the work that the ERO Enterprise has done regarding these two topics.

The ERO Enterprise remains committed to identifying and working toward solutions to better manage the complex reliability problems facing the industry during this time of unprecedented resource change.