Regulatory evolution and its effect on system operation and security

Regulations governing electric system operation and security have evolved rapidly since the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 amended the Federal Power Act. At that time, the North America Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) was given the authority to establish reliability standards for the nation's electric grid. In 2007, NERC published its first reliability standards under its new authority. Since publication, the NERC Reliability Standards have developed and expanded at a dramatic pace. In addition, the development of these standards is changing the way utilities operate their electric grid. From conducting maintenance to developing relay protection schemes and physical security, utilities are changing their day-to-day operations. They are also changing their system planning process by considering the facility's ratings of equipment and how they operate them. This paper addresses NERC standards that affect today's cooperatives, whether directly or indirectly, while showing how regulatory evolution will impact electric cooperatives' future.