Energy adequacy key component in grid planning, NERC report says

A new report from the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Section 6 and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has found that energy adequacy is a key component in planning sustainable power grids.

The report, Evolving Planning Criteria for a Sustainable Power Grid, analyses electric reliability criteria for grid planning. The report summarizes this year’s NAE Section 6 and NERC workshop and outlines actionable recommendations for planners to take. During the workshop, participants looked at capacity vs. energy, and planning the transforming transmission grid.

“There is little doubt that our dependence on electricity as the engine of our economy is increasing at a rapid pace,” Mark Lauby, NERC’s senior vice president and chief engineer, said. “As the grid transforms, it is imperative that traditional planning criteria evolve to reflect a new reality in which energy adequacy becomes a critical complementary consideration of resource adequacy when addressing overall system reliability.”

According to the report, to address resource adequacy, long-term recommendation include continuing the evolution of resource adequacy criterion; collecting quality data; building composite plans across the interconnections; tracking demand increases resulting from electrification; developing extreme scenarios; finding ways to increase transfer capacity; improving coordination of transmission with distribution; and improving benchmarking metrics to enhance the energy adequacy assessment process, officials said.

“The Power and Energy Section of the National Academy of Engineering has been concerned about maintaining the reliability of the power grid while it undergoes rapid changes to make it more sustainable,” Anjan Bose, Regents Professor at Washington State University, said. “We are excited to partner with NERC on this workshop that has recommended changes to the grid planning process and new analytics to ensure resource and transmission adequacy.”

The report is a companion piece to NAE’s Creating the Sustainable National Electric Infrastructure While Maintaining the Reliability and Resiliency of the Grid report from the previous workshop.

NERC said it would continue to collaborate with industry and groups like NAE Section 6 to gather insights on discussion that will support progress on a more reliable, resilient and secure North American bulk power system.

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