NERC glossary of the month

September 08, 2011

Each month, we share some of the terminology used by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. You’ll see these terms in reports and other coverage of the electric power industry, so it’s a good idea to brush up on exactly what NERC means.

Balancing Authority Area
The collection of generation, transmission, and loads within the metered boundaries of the Balancing Authority. Wabash Valley Power’s BAs, MISO and PJM, are responsible for maintaining load/resource balance within this area.

Base Load
The minimum amount of electric power delivered or required over a given period at a constant rate.

Bulk Electric System
The Regional Reliability Organization currently defines this as the electrical generation resources, transmission lines, interconnections with neighboring systems, and associated equipment, generally operated at voltages of 100 kV or higher. Radial transmission facilities serving only load with one transmission source are generally not included. NERC is in the process of revising this definition.