NERC’s mission is to ensure that the bulk electric system, or BES, in North America is reliable, adequate, and secure. In 1997, NERC developed a set of Operating and Planning standards for use throughout the North American industry.

Since then, the body of standards has continued to grow in both size and complexity. Personnel throughout the industry must maintain a thorough understanding of the current regulatory requirements to ensure BES reliability while maintaining compliance. Insight into proposed regulations also allows personnel to be prepared for future changes to their operations and compliance needs.

The U.S. Energy Policy Act of August 2005 contains provisions that made compliance with NERC standards mandatory and enforceable.

Course Description

The NERC Compliance Management course is designed to instruct technicians, managers, engineers, and compliance specialists on regulatory and reliability requirements. The course covers power generation-specific content, while also focusing on best practices associated with NERC compliance management.

This training will familiarize attendees with the requirements of the latest NERC regulations and help them identify their role in meeting these requirements, as well as areas within their organization that may benefit from additional growth.

Each requirement will be reviewed using the following approach:

• Review NERC standard requirement language
• Understand subject matter expert interpretation of regulatory language
• Discuss implementation/fulfillment of requirements
• Identify possible audit evidence for the requirement, including understanding RSAWs and audit guidance
• Review industry best practices and internal controls that shift toward a more proactive approach to compliance rather than reacting to potential issues
• Review applicability to overall compliance management

The course provides interactive, in-person classroom-based instruction. It provides an exceptional approach to compliance management through practical application, best practices, internal controls, and a detailed understanding of each standard’s importance in the reliability and sustainability of the BES.

Procedures and training are vital elements in robust compliance programs. Attendees will explore options for coordinating standards into concise, practical procedures and training modules.

Attendees will also discover compliance management tools that can guide audits and help plant personnel develop strong internal controls.

Standards Covered

The reliability standards included in this training are listed below by standard number.

Communications

• COM-001-3: Communications
• COM-002-4: Operating Personnel Communications Protocols

Emergency Preparedness & Operations

• EOP-004-4: Event Reporting
• EOP-005-3: System Restoration from Blackstart Resources
• EOP-012-2: Extreme Cold Weather Preparedness and Operations

Facilities Design, Connection, & Maintenance

• FAC-001-4: Facility Interconnection Requirements
• FAC-002-4: Facility Interconnection Studies
• FAC-003-5: Transmission Vegetation Management
• FAC-008-5: Facility Ratings

Interconnection Reliability Operations & Coordination

• IRO-001-4: Reliability Coordination – Responsibilities
• IRO-010-4: Reliability Coordinator Data Specification and Collection

Modeling, Data, & Analysis

• MOD-025-2: Verification and Data Reporting of Generator Real and Reactive Power Capability and Synchronous Condenser Reactive Power Capability
• MOD-026-1: Verification of Models and Data for Generator Excitation Control System or Plant Volt/Var Control Functions
• MOD-027-1: Verification of Models and Data for Turbine/Governor and Load Control or Active Power/Frequency Control Functions
• MOD-032-1: Data for Power System Modeling and Analysis

Personnel Performance, Training, and Qualifications

• PER-005-2: Operations Personnel Training
• PER-006-1: Specific Training for Personnel

Protection and Control

• PRC-002-4: Disturbance Monitoring and Reporting Requirements
• PRC-004-6: Protection System Misoperation Identification and Correction
• PRC-005-6: Protection System, Automatic Reclosing, and Sudden Pressure Relaying Maintenance
• PRC-012-2: Remedial Action Schemes
• PRC-017-1: Remedial Action Scheme Maintenance and Testing
• PRC-019-2: Coordination of Generating Unit or Plant Capabilities, Voltage Regulating Controls, and Protection
• PRC-023-6: Transmission Relay Loadability
• PRC-024-3: Frequency and Voltage Protection Settings for Generating Resources
• PRC-025-2: Generator Relay Loadability
• PRC-026-2: Relay Performance During Stable Power Swings
• PRC-027-1: Coordination of Protection Systems for Performance During Faults

Transmission Operations

• TOP-001-6: Transmission Operations
• TOP-003-5: Operational Reliability Data

Transmission Planning

• TPL-007-4: Transmission System Planned Performance for Geomagnetic Disturbance Events

Voltage and Reactive

• VAR-002-4.1: Generator Operation for Maintaining Network Voltage Schedules
• VAR-501-WECC-4: Power System Stabilizer, or PSS