About FERC 
Office of Electric Reliability
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What We Do
The Office of Electric Reliability (OER) will help protect and improve the reliability and security of the nation's bulk power system through effective regulatory oversight as established by Congress and the President in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Oversees the development and review of mandatory reliability and security standards. Ensures compliance with the approved mandatory standards by the users, owners, and operators of the bulk power system.
Major areas of responsibilities:
- Monitor and participate in the standards development process to help improve the quality of reliability standards proposed to the Commission. Review filed standards to make recommendations as to whether the Commission should approve or remand it, or whether the Commission should direct the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) to create a new standard or revise an existing standard.
- Monitor the compliance of the users, owners, and operators of the bulk power system with the reliability standards.
- Lead or join in periodic and unscheduled reviews and audits of the ERO, Regional Entities, and users, owners, and operators to determine the effectiveness of their reliability programs and their compliance with reliability standards.
- Lead or join in analysis and investigations concerning complaints, blackouts, near-misses, etc., on the bulk power system to determine if reliability standards were violated, changes to the reliability standards are warranted, or if the reliability standards are adequate for their intended purpose.
- Oversee the ERO's resource adequacy assessments to identify and investigate constraints on the bulk power system.
- Engage in the regional planning processes to determine if proposed and approved projects are sufficient to meet the reliability requirements.
- Coordinate with the applicable Federal agencies; other governments; state agencies and regulators including the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC); the Electric Reliability Organization and Regional Entities (RE); the ISO/RTOs; users, owners and operators of the bulk power system; stakeholders; customers; etc. to facilitate energy reliability and security.
- Monitor real-time events on the bulk power system, reporting the most significant to the Chairman, Commissioners, and senior staff through a 24/7 emergency reporting system.
- Work with other internal and external groups to evaluate elements that may impact the bulk power system (such as fuel constraints, generation and transmission siting and permitting, congestion, rate recovery for reliability expenditures, etc.) and cost recovery options for potential solutions.
- Identify localized constrained areas and probable regulatory/legislative concerns.
- Explore, develop, and implement procedures and/or reliability standards to secure the bulk power system, including cyber facilities, against outside attack.
OER is led by Office Director Joseph H. McClelland and Deputy Director Michael C. McLaughlin.
OER Organization Chart
(Note: Click for larger image)
