In diagnosing the causes of diminishing grid reliability, policymakers and experts have pointed to aging grid infrastructure, growing cyber threats, more natural disasters and weather extremes, and overreliance on renewable energy—such as solar and wind. The U.S. electric grid is under strain, with blackouts on the rise and the system’s reliability more frequently tested than ever before in the face of more frequent storms, heat waves, hurricanes, and the like. Because managing grid reliability https://www.ourbow.com/hybrid-cars-electric-cars-and-greenwashing/ through the clean energy transition is such a critical public challenge, it makes sense to charge a public entity with responsibility for carefully evaluating how to manage it.
- Accordingly, we focus our recommendations on how federal authorities might better harness DERs’ bulk-power-system-related capabilities.
- Governmental and self-regulatory organizations at different levels (federal and state) control different portions of the grid.
- CT through an anticipated end time of 7 p.m.
- The U.S. electric grid is under strain, with blackouts on the rise and the system’s reliability more frequently tested than ever before in the face of more frequent storms, heat waves, hurricanes, and the like.
- The entities that make up RTOs and NERC—which, notably, are largely comprised of the same players—bring considerable expertise about the electric grid and its regional operation to the table.49 Similarly, regional differences in weather, resource availability, and utility footprints may sometimes justify variances from national norms and practices.
CT (midnight) until an anticipated end time of Monday, August 17, 2026, at 12 a.m. SPP’s West BAA is currently under a Resource Advisory until an anticipated end time of Monday, August 17, at 12 a.m. CT through an anticipated end time of Wednesday, August 19, at 8 p.m. The SPP East BAA remains under a Resource Advisory until an anticipated end time of Wed., Aug. 19 at 8 p.m.
SPP’s West BAA area is currently under a Conservative Operations Advisory through an anticipated end time of Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 12 a.m. CT through an anticipated end time of 8 p.m. SPP’s East BAA remains under baseline normal operating conditions.
Why Is Electrical Grid Reliability Important?
Accordingly, we focus our recommendations on how federal authorities might better harness DERs’ bulk-power-system-related capabilities. As federalism theory would project, some states have exercised their jurisdiction to promote the expansion of reliable, clean DERs through subsidies, mandates, and procurement policies. Large (transmission-scale) and small (distribution-scale) energy storage—primarily through batteries—is a critical component of grid reliability as resource variability increases and the grid experiences more threats from weather extremes and other natural disasters. In fact, FERC has already supported the expansion of these critical reliability resources through Order 2222, which enables “aggregators” of DERs to participate in federally regulated wholesale markets. Nearly all the midwestern states opted out, preventing large-scale demand response from enhancing grid reliability throughout large parts of the country.84 Aggregation of demand response resources has lowered energy costs and enhanced grid reliability throughout the regions where it is https://lifeharbor.uk/davita-celebrates-25-years-of-exceptional-patient-care-empowering-the-future-of-kidney-health.html?noamp=mobile allowed.
For example, during 2021 Winter Storm Uri and again during 2022 Winter Storm Elliott, natural gas plant failures were a primary cause of grid blackouts.15 These failures can be traced back, in turn, to the ways in which these plants are centrally tied to the natural gas production and transport system—even though governance of the electric grid and natural gas system is separate. Indeed, modeling shows that the most efficient grid would involve one nationally interconnected web of wires.14 This “macrogrid” would cost-effectively enhance grid reliability for consumers across the country—but has proven exceedingly difficult to plan, site, and construct. We focus here on the “bulk” electric grid, comprised of generators and transmission lines that connect generation to areas of demand. The U.S. grid is outdated and less reliable than that of any other developed country—a fact that suggests that our approach to grid reliability needs to change, even if the grid were facing no new pressures.12 Part IV critiques the marginalization of public values in grid governance processes, highlighting several reforms that could better align grid reliability institutions with public objectives.
II. An Introduction to Grid Governance
CT until an anticipated end time of Friday, August 28, at 12 a.m. CT until an anticipated end time of Wednesday, September 2, at 9 p.m. CT (noon) until an anticipated end time of Sunday, September 6, at 10 p.m. SPP’s West BAA is currently under baseline normal operating conditions. CT until an anticipated end time of 8 p.m. CT until an anticipated end time of Thursday, September 10 at 2 a.m.
Alongside this web of federal actors, states continue to play a vital role in managing the electricity system. Reliability assessments, influenced by regional entities and ultimately written and published by NERC, play an important role in grid reliability despite not being formal standards. In 2006, FERC began to provide oversight authority over NERC per congressional mandate.20 That means FERC must approve all reliability standards proposed by NERC or else reject them and send them back for revision; FERC may not independently amend the standards.21 In addition, FERC must approve or reject NERC’s actions enforcing reliability standards on utilities and other grid actors.22 There is growing attention to technical approaches to enhancing the reliability of an evolving, expanding U.S. electric grid.17 But these technical approaches, which already exist, will only be implemented with a major overhaul of grid governance—the system that dictates how the grid changes, how quickly it changes, and how reliably it operates.
What is a Major Event Day?
Recognizing these interdependencies, FERC has endeavored to enable these resources by easing their entry into areas of federal jurisdiction—most notably, wholesale markets—with mixed success.82 Below, we catalog the regulatory state of affairs with respect to core DER technologies and suggest means of better incorporating these resources into grid reliability governance and operations. The lack of similar federal approval and siting authority over the interstate electric grid has resulted in a patchwork of siloed private, public, and hybrid government actors at federal and state levels that occasionally work together collaboratively but often do not, making necessary grid modernization difficult. The electric grid is distinctly siloed with respect to federal and state control over different portions of the grid.
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