EPRI and NERC Partner to Boost Grid Resilience
In July 2021, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) jointly announced the formation of a partnership aimed at boosting the resilience and reliability of the grid across North America. Let’s take a closer look at what it means from an emergency preparedness perspective.
Nuts and Bolts of the EPRI / NERC Collaboration
An interesting nuance of the collaboration is that the partnership will be looking at both reliability and resilience. Although related, these terms each refer to a different objective.
Reliability essentially refers to grid fortification. That is, ensuring adequate supply to meet demand and ensuring acceptable security. Conversely, resilience refers to the grid’s ability to recover from a disruptive event. In other words, reliability is the process of shoring up the infrastructure to minimize disruptions, whereas resilience is the process of improving the grid’s ability to recover from an event.
Really, this is a partnership made in heaven, and I’m shocked it didn’t happen sooner. EPRI is essentially an electric power R&D entity, whereas NERC is the entity that would implement and coordinate the implementation of any new and innovative opportunity. Thus, the partnership covers both ends of the spectrum.
Although the finer details of how NERC and EPRI will work together is not 100% clear, it sounds like the collaboration will essentially encompass a forum to develop and test new grid-enhancement technologies and solutions. According to Mark Lauby, Chief Sustainability Officer for NERC, the collaboration will “provide the science, tools and processes needed to effectively mitigate existing and emerging risks” to the grid.
The two organizations will meet regularly, develop cooperative plans, hold industry workshops, and of course work together to flesh out new opportunities. Hopefully, both the EPRI and NERC will find the partnership to be successful, and will make the most of the opportunity by introducing solutions that will move the needle in terms of improving reliability and resilience.
