WECC

Reliability in the West: Emerging Risks Wednesday, August 7, 2024, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Mountain Time   Join us for a discussion led by WECC leadership on recent events and emerging risks to the Western Interconnection. Gain valuable insights into new peak demand, future resource build-out, new large load centers, and recurring IBR events. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the challenges facing the Western Interconnection. https://lnkd.in/gWAuM7i8

Congress, in its Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, directed NERC to conduct the Interregional Transfer Capability Study (ITCS). The ITCS Overview of Study Need and Approach, which is the first of four planned #ITCS reports, provides the foundation for the project by detailing transfer capability calculations and the methodology used to make recommendations for prudent additions. The final study will be filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by December 2, 2024. A Canadian analysis will be published in the first quarter of 2025. https://ow.ly/Oyfl50SraNA

WECC.org Migration WECC is migrating its website to new hosting software, with improvements such as enhanced security, reliability, search functionality, and mobile experience. The website will be temporarily unavailable from Friday, July 12, at 4:00 p.m. MT until Monday, July 15, at 8:00 a.m. MT. After the upgrade, current users will need to register for a new account, users with access to secure data must configure multi-factor authentication. Previous permissions should be reinstated shortly after account setup. Some WECC documents and previous site functions may not be immediately available after the migration, but will be restored in accordance with the retention policy. Read more about the migration: https://lnkd.in/gg_nh_c7

WECC Releases Year 20 Extreme Heat Event Study This week, WECC released the Year 20 Extreme Heat Event Study. In the report, WECC evaluates the potential reliability impacts of an extreme heat event set in 2042, similar to the heat event the West experienced in August 2020. This study is part of WECC’s Year 20 assessment work, which is breaking new ground in analyzing potential long-term risks to reliability. https://lnkd.in/gPeFSdFQ

Share your feedback today! We are evaluating our website, wecc.org, and would greatly appreciate stakeholders' feedback. Please take this five-minute survey to share your thoughts and help us improve the website. https://lnkd.in/ggySG62S

WECC has released the Year 20 Transmission Trends Assessment. In 2022, WECC began developing the capability to conduct studies of the system 20 years in the future. This report shares the findings, challenges, and lessons from WECC’s first effort in long-term transmission assessment work.  https://lnkd.in/ddaASK8m 

North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), Midwest Reliability Organization, ReliabilityFirst Corporation, and SERC Reliability Corporation recently hosted a webinar for state policymakers that focused on how to improve inverter-based resource (IBR) reliability and detailed NERC's strategy to address #IBR risks, highlighting the pivotal role of state regulators and policymakers in shaping energy policy and ensuring #power grid reliability. NERC noted that IBRs make up a growing segment of North America's resource mix. Over recent years, NERC and the ERO Enterprise tracked several large-scale disturbances causing widespread IBR power loss. Following FERC’s direction, NERC is developing new and revised Reliability Standards to prevent IBRs from tripping offline during grid disturbances. Learn more about the IBR Registration Initiative: https://bit.ly/452DI6Q

Reliability in the West: Summer Assessment Wednesday, June 5, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Mountain Time In June, we will follow up on our May conversation about the summer outlook in the West with a more in-depth discussion of potential reliability risks for the upcoming summer. A panel will provide West-specific details from NERC’s Summer Reliability Assessment. https://lnkd.in/g2cRGbMY

WECC’s Modeling Validation Subcommittee (MVS) is excited to announce the approval of their second Grid-Forming Model (GFM), REGFM_B1, which was approved last week.   The REGFM_B1 is a pioneering GFM model of a virtual synchronous machine, signifying a major milestone for MVS and underscoring their continuous dedication to advancing grid-forming technology.

We remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve and protect our country. Our office will be closed on Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 28.