The North American Electric Reliability Corp. has launched the first phase of a process aimed at identifying and registering grid-connected inverter-based resources, such as solar and battery power devices.
NERC has worked with regional reliability entities to develop potential revisions to rules of procedure to address the registration of unregistered inverter-based resources that have an aggregate, material impact on the reliability of the bulk power system.
The proposed revisions, which were approved by NERC’s board of trustees on February 22 and are scheduled to be submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in early March, would “result in materially impactful IBRs becoming subject to NERC’s Reliability Standards, commensurate to the amount of BPS-impactful synchronous resources currently subject to these standards,” NERC said in a statement.
In analyzing the growth of inverter-based resources, NERC identified a “reliability gap” associated with the fact that “a significant level” of grid-connected IBR owners and operators are not yet required to register with NERC or adhere to its reliability standards. In response, FERC issued an order in 2022 directing NERC to identify and register owners and operators of currently unregistered bulk power system-connected IBRs. NERC’s plan, approved by FERC, calls for identifying and registering grid-connected IBR by 2026.
NERC said in the subsequent phases of its IBR registration program it plans to update its reliability standards in accordance with FERC Order 901, issued in October 2023.
While the first phase proposal addresses revisions to NERC’s registration process rules, the organization said additional projects would focus on the standards development process.
NERC also said it is launching several initiatives to ensure industry and stakeholders are informed throughout the three phases of the IBR registration project, including an IBR Registration Initiative Quick Reference Guide on NERC’s website, quarterly updates that will be posted and shared publicly, as well as additional resources and training materials that will be posted as needs are identified.
“System events over the past six years have shown that these [inverter based] resources are impacting the reliability of the bulk power system,” Howard Gugel, vice president of compliance assurance and registration at NERC, said in a statement. “It is imperative that we register these resources and modify applicable Reliability Standards to establish operating expectations.”
