Key Players

ERO Enterprise Operating Model – This white paper outlines how NERC and the Regional Entities (ERO Enterprise) can achieve excellence in the oversight and execution of statutory functions by collaborating and working together to achieve the common goal of mitigating reliability risks. Additionally, the paper identifies key goals that must be met in order to implement effective, coordinated operations across the ERO Enterprise.

In 2007, FERC approved agreements by which NERC delegates its authority to monitor and enforce compliance to eight Regional Entities. The members of the Regional Entities come from all segments of the electricity industry: investor-owned utilities; federal power agencies; rural electric cooperatives; state, municipal, and provincial utilities; independent power producers; power marketers; and end-use customers. These entities account for virtually all the electricity supplied in the United States, Canada, and the northern portion of Baja California, Mexico.

Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC)

Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO)

Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC)

ReliabilityFirst (RF)

SERC Reliability Corporation (SERC)

Southwest Power Pool, RE (SPP RE)

Texas Reliability Entity (Texas RE)

Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)

Maps
NERC Interconnections
NERC Regions Map*
NERC Regions and Balancing Authorities (as of October 1, 2015)
NERC Assessment Areas (as of March 2016)

*Please note that the regional boundaries in the NERC Regions map (also shown above) are approximate. The highlighted areas denote overlap as some load-serving entities participate in one Region while associated transmission owners/operators participate in another.

Industry
Committees and Volunteers: Many members and other bulk power industry experts provide time and expertise to NERC, industry, and the general public by participating in NERC committees, subcommittees, task forces, working groups, and standard drafting teams. More >>

Registered Entities: Registered entities are those required by law to register with NERC and comply with NERC Reliability Standards. See the Compliance Registry for a list of the approximately 1,400 registered entities. More>>

Registered Ballot Body: The Registered Ballot Body, comprised of industry and other interested stakeholders, plays a critical role in the standards development process by voting and offering comments on proposed NERC Reliability Standards. More>>

International

Canada
NERC’s role in Canada is similar to its role in the United States. While the approval process varies in the different Canadian jurisdictions, NERC Reliability Standards—in some cases modified to reflect the jurisdictions’ reliability regimes—are mandatory and enforceable in the provinces of Ontario, New Brunswick, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia and are in the process of being adopted in Quebec. While Saskatchewan does not have an independent regulator, the province has determined that its utilities will be subject to NERC Reliability Standards.

Authority over electricity generation and transmission in Canada rests primarily with provincial governments. Not all jurisdictions have the necessary legal structures to name an Electric Reliability Organization (ERO). However, all have recognized NERC as an electric reliability standards-setting organization and have committed to supporting NERC in its standards-setting and oversight role as the North American ERO. NERC has memorandums of understanding with Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the National Energy Board of Canada, who work with NERC to enhance North American bulk power system reliability. While there are currently no MOUs in effect with British Columbia and Manitoba, both provinces have adopted NERC Reliability Standards as mandatory and enforceable and work closely with the ERO.

The Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Monitoring and Enforcement Sub-group (MESG) has developed provincial summaries of each province’s electric reliability standard-making and enforcement functions, with U.S. comparators. The MESG will review the summaries annually and update them as needed. More>>

Mexico
In 2013 and 2014, Mexico enacted significant energy reforms that include restructuring of the Mexican electricity industry, increased opportunity for private investment and a competitive electricity market. With these reforms, the roles of several key players in Mexico have changed.

Comisión Reguladora de Energia (CRE) is the federal energy regulator in Mexico. On March 3, 2016, CRE commissioners approved Resolución RES/151/2016, containing the first Grid Code (Codiga de Red) under Mexico’s 2013–2014 electricity reforms. Under these reforms, CRE has many new responsibilities and authorities, including establishing regulations for electric reliability and security. The Grid Code contains the criteria for “efficiency, quality, reliability, continuity, security, and sustainability of the National Electric System” in Mexico, and the initial version incorporates ten NERC Reliability Standards.

CRE is required to update the Grid Code annually for the next five years. In June 2016, NERC and WECC conducted a workshop for Mexican subject matter experts to provide a comprehensive overview of NERC and WECC Reliability Standards in order to assist them in providing technical advice to CRE during the development of the second Grid Code.

Centro Nacional de Control de Energía (CENACE) is the independent system and market operator for all parts of the Mexican electric system.

Comisión Federal Electricidad (CFE) is the government-owned utility. CFE was previously a vertically integrated utility but under the 2013-2014 electricity reforms, CFE, has been restructured into separate distribution, transmission, and generation organizations. Under an agreement between WECC and CFE, WECC has been monitoring CFE’s compliance with certain standards in the portion of CFE’s system in Baja California Norte that is interconnected to California.

Beyond North America
On July 14, 2016, NERC signed an administrative agreement with the European Commission’s Directorate General for Energy to collaborate on grid reliability. The agreement recognizes the shared interest of NERC and DG Energy in grid reliability in the face of emerging challenges and signals the intent of both organizations to expand technical collaboration and exchange information related to ensuring grid reliability.

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