Northeast Power Coordinating Council Inc

NORTHEAST POWER COORDINATING COUNCIL, INC. IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROMOTING AND IMPROVING THE RELIABILITY OF THE INTERNATIONAL, INTERCONNECTED BULK POWER SYSTEMS IN NORTHEASTERN NORTH AMERICA.

THE FIRST OF THREE LARGEST PROGRAM SERVICES BY EXPENSE IS COMPLIANCE ENFORCEMENT AND ORGANIZATION CERTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION (CORC). THIS CORC PROGRAM SERVICE COVERS: 1) THE IDENTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION OF ENTITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLYING WITH THE NORTH AMERICAN ELECTRIC RELIABILITY CORPORATION RELIABILITY STANDARDS AND NPCC REGIONAL RELIABILITY STANDARDS; 2) THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NERC COMPLIANCE MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM (CMEP) IN THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING THE IDENTIFICATION OF ENTITY RISK THROUGH INHERENT RISK ASSESSMENT AND INTERNAL CONTROL EVALUATIONS, COMPLIANCE MONITORING, ASSESSMENT AND ENFORCEMENT OF NERC RELIABILTY STANDARDS AND NPCC REGIONAL RELIABILITY STANDARDS; AND 3) THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPLIANCE MONITORING, ASSESSMENT AND ENFORCEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH EXECUTED MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING AND/OR AGREEMENTS IN THE CANADIAN PROVINCES OF ONTARIO, QUEBEC, NEW BRUNSWICK, AND NOVA SCOTIA.

OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE:A RELIABILITY STANDARDS PROGRAM SERVICE, WHICH INCLUDES: 1) THE EVALUATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND MAINTENANCE OF REGIONAL RELIABILITY STANDARDS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR RELIABILITY OF THE BULK POWER SYSTEM IN THE NORTHEAST; 2) REGULAR REVIEW OF NERC RELIABILITY STANDARDS TO ENSURE SUCH STANDARDS FOCUS ON PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS ESSENTIAL TO RELIABILITY; 3) FACILITATING STAKEHOLDER REVIEW, COMMENT ON, AND DEVELOPMENT OF BALLOT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALL NERC RELIABILITY STANDARDS UNDER DEVELOPMENT OR REVISION.INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, WHICH ENSURES INFORMATION AND DATA ASSETS AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY OPERATE ARE WORKING AND SECURE.A TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND OPERATOR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM SERVICE, WHICH PROVIDES EDUCATION AND TRAINING NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND AND OPERATE THE BULK POWER SYSTEM. THE TARGET AUDIENCE OF THE PROGRAM IS BULK POWER SYSTEM OPERATING PERSONNEL - INCLUDING SYSTEM OPERATIONS PERSONNEL, OPERATIONS SUPPORT PERSONNEL (ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY), SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS, AND TRAINING PERSONNEL.

THE SECOND LARGEST PROGRAM SERVICES BY EXPENSE IS RELIABILITY ASSESSMENT AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS (RAPA).THROUGH THE RELIABILITY ASSESSMENT AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS PROGRAM AREA NPCC CONDUCTS OBJECTIVE AND ACCURATE RELIABILITY ASSESSMENTS AND IDENTIFIES RELIABILITY PERFORMANCE TRENDS. ANNUAL AND SEASONAL ASSESSMENTS OF THE FUTURE RELIABILITY OF THE BULK POWER SYSTEM IN THE REGION ARE PERFORMED FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANALYZING AND TRENDING RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENTS AND BENEFITS. NPCC PROMOTES AND CONDUCTS BOTH INTER-AREA AND INTERREGIONAL STUDIES TO ENHANCE RELIABILITY AND OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND PROVIDES A FORUM FOR THE DISCUSSION AND COORDINATION OF OPERATING ISSUES WITHIN THE NPCC REGION AND WITH OTHER REGIONS. NPCC ASSESSES COMPOSITE GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION RELIABILITY ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGIES AND METRICS, LOSS-OF-LOAD EXPECTATION STUDIES AND SIMILAR PROBABILISTIC RESOURCE ASSESSMENT ANALYSES IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING DATA REQUIREMENT SUPPORT IN THE AREAS DATA COORDINATION, TRANSMISSION AVAILABILITY, GENERATION AVAILABILITY, AND DEMAND AVAILABILITY.

THE THIRD OF THREE LARGEST PROGRAM SERVICES BY EXPENSE IS SITUATION AWARENESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY PROGRAM (SAIS).THE SITUATION AWARENESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY PROGRAM IS THE COMBINATION OF NEAR REAL TIME AWARENESS OF CONDITIONS ON THE BULK POWER SYSTEM WITH THE PROGRAMS NECESSARY TO INCREASE THE PHYSICAL AND CYBER SECURITY OF THE ELECTRICITY INFRASTRUCTURE. THIS INCLUDES THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF TOOLS AND OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE BENEFIT OF RELIABILITY COORDINATORS AND OTHER SYSTEM OPERATORS. MAINTAINING THE REAL-TIME AWARENESS OF CONDITIONS ON THE INTERCONNECTED BULK POWER SYSTEMS OF THE NPCC RELIABILITY COORDINATOR AREAS (INCLUDING AWARENESS OF ABNORMAL EVENTS, COMMUNICATING INFORMATION CONCERNING SYSTEM CONDITIONS AND ABNORMAL EVENTS TO, AND FACILITATING REAL-TIME COMMUNICATIONS AMONG SYSTEM OPERATORS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RELIABLE OPERATION OF THE BULK POWER SYSTEMS) IS CRITICAL TO MAINTAINING RELIABLE OPERATION WITHIN NPCC. ON AN ONGOING BASIS, NPCC MONITORS THE OPERATIONAL STATUS OF THE BULK POWER SYSTEM AND COORDINATES NORMAL AND PRE-EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION, AWARENESS AND ASSISTANCE IN ADDITION TO THE SAME DURING AN EMERGENCY AMONG THE AREAS.