Performance Analysis

SERC's primary goal is to promote reliability of the bulk power system in the Region. The SERC Situation Awareness (SA) program, Event Analysis (EA) program, Reliability Risk Assessments, and Operational Assessments provide tools and studies for the Region to achieve that objective by:
  • assessing events that have occurred
  • identifying potential risks
  • making recommendations for reliability in the Region

Situation Awareness

The Situation Awareness and Event Analysis (SAEA) program identifies and analyzes conditions that may impact reliable operations. The SERC Situation Awareness program monitors sources of information and maintains communications with stakeholders, NERC, and other organizations.

SERC Regional Criteria for Event Reporting

SERC Regional Reliability Plan

NERC Bulk Power System Awareness

Cold Weather Preparedness

Event Analysis

The SERC Event Analysis (EA) program supports reliability improvement initiatives by assessing significant Bulk Electric System (BES) events to identify exactly what happened, why it happened, and what can be done to prevent reoccurrence. EA coordinates with NERC to track, trend, and assign cause-codes to BES events. EA also works with registered entities to perform detailed analysis of Category 3 or higher events.  

NERC Lessons Learned

Operational Assessments

The Operational Analysis of the SERC Region is performed on a post seasonal basis (e.g., summer and winter). The post seasonal analysis serves two purposes:

  • It gives SERC an overview of the health of the Reliability Region by measuring SERC’s registered entities’ actual real-time operations for the season against NERC’s criteria of adequate levels of reliability (ALRs).
  • The regional forecasting tools and processes utilized by study groups are evaluated by comparing the seasonal assessments to the actual conditions experienced by the Region in real time.

SERC can then highlight risk and make recommendations for reliability in the Region. 

Reliability Risk Assessments

Reliability Risk Assessments are intended to define, identify, monitor, rank, and classify reliability risks. Once the risks are defined, the Reliability Risk Team develops reliability risk control initiatives based on the severity or impact of each risk. Data used in the risk assessment process originates from multiple regional programs, such as SERC technical committees, Reliability Assessment and Performance Analysis data collections, Reliability Standards reporting information, NERC data collection efforts, and external industry organizations.

NERC Reliability Risk Management