Test Your Knowledge: Are You Prepared For Grid Threats?

FERC recently announced a new proceeding on the resiliency of the bulk power system (see releases here: https://www.ferc.gov/media/news-releases.asp). This will flow over to all parts of our interconnected grid. Test your knowledge on system integrity issues by answering the following questions:

• Are the intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), relays and controls at substations (T&D) on your system vulnerable due to your communication networks?
• Is your system equipped with sufficient backup or recovery transformers?
• Is your company coordinating with energy storage and distributed energy systems (DERs) on your system to jointly prepare for system disturbances?
• Has your organization shared and trained all relevant staff on emergency measures that may be needed to increase the emergency power flow on key T&D circuits? 
• Do you have survivability plans to ensure communication with customers, traffic signals, prisons, hospitals, and cell phones stay on line or recover almost immediately even when hit with a major event?
• Are all key T&D circuits being operated near their capacity such that reserve transfer capacity is not available in the event of a major line loss?
• Do you have a Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) or similar high-voltage power electronic-based controllers on your system to quickly react to man-made or natural disturbances?
• Does your organization have access to a Wide Area Measurement System (WAMS) that can provide real-time network information across a wide geographical area to detect abnormal system conditions as they arise?