Navigating the IBR Transformation: Our Perspective on NERC’s IBR Activities

Explore Keentel Engineering’s in-depth take on NERC’s IBR transformation guide, disturbance reports, compliance standards, and integration strategies to ensure bulk power system reliability.

Introduction

The transformation of North America’s bulk power system (BPS) is accelerating, driven largely by the proliferation of inverter-based resources (IBRs) such as solar PV, wind turbines, and battery energy storage systems. Recognizing the complexity and reliability implications of this shift, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) released a comprehensive “Quick Reference Guide” in June 2023 outlining seven years of focused activities on IBRs. This guide serves as a cornerstone for industry stakeholders looking to align with best practices, understand emerging challenges, and strengthen grid reliability.

Keentel Engineering presents a summarized perspective on NERC’s initiatives and offers insights on how utilities, grid operators, and project developers can strategically engage with the evolving IBR ecosystem.

NERC’s Inverter-Based Resource Strategy: Four Pillars of Reliability

NERC’s IBR strategy targets four key areas:

1. Risk Analysis: Evaluating the reliability impacts of increasing IBR penetration.
2. Interconnection Process Enhancements: Updating technical requirements for seamless BPS integration.
3. Best Practice Sharing and Education: Disseminating knowledge through webinars, guidelines, and outreach.
4. Regulatory Improvements: Supporting FERC-driven standard updates and compliance alignment.
   
   

This strategic roadmap ensures a coordinated industry response to mitigate IBR-related reliability risks.

Webinars, Outreach, and Educational Resources

In 2023, NERC hosted a landmark 11-part webinar series focused on IBRs. The sessions covered:

• IBR fundamentals and grid impact
• Emerging performance issues
• Model validation and compliance obligations
  
  

Supplementary materials such as FAQs, expert interviews, and guidebooks (e.g., An Introductory Guide to Inverter-Based Resources) empower stakeholders with practical knowledge to improve integration and performance.

Additionally, cybersecurity is spotlighted in the brochure Recommendations for Solar Energy Cybersecurity, recognizing threats posed by both utility-scale and behind-the-meter DERs.

Disturbance Reports: Lessons from Real-World Events

NERC has analyzed numerous disturbances over the past decade to derive lessons and mitigation strategies. Significant reports include:

• Odessa Events (2021–2022, Texas): Revealed systemic faults in solar PV inverters.
• Southwest Utah Disturbance (2023): Led to a 921 MW solar generation loss.
• San Fernando & Blue Cut Fires (2020 & 2016): Highlighted PV tripping during transmission faults.
  
  

These reports illustrate the criticality of robust ride-through capabilities, voltage support functions, and standardized responses during system disturbances.

Industry Alerts and Reliability Guidelines

Several NERC alerts have been issued, such as:

• March 2022 Alert: Urged mitigation of systemic performance deficiencies in BES solar PVs.
• May 2018 Alert: Focused on inverter settings affecting fault ride-through.
  
  

Complementing these are reliability guidelines on EMT modeling, BESS and hybrid plant simulations, and low short circuit strength adaptation. These documents help Transmission Planners (TPs) and Planning Coordinators (PCs) perform more accurate simulations and identify weaknesses proactively.

White Papers and Technical Reports

NERC’s white papers explore high-level concepts with technical depth:

• Grid Forming vs Grid Following Technologies: Evaluates control strategies and recommends GFM deployment.
• Primary Frequency Response (PFR) & Fast Frequency Response (FFR): Encourages leveraging IBR flexibility for grid support.
• WECC Base Case Reviews: Improve base case model accuracy for system studies.
  
  

These publications are instrumental in informing future planning and operational strategies.

Reliability Standards and Regulatory Alignment

NERC has spearheaded multiple standards projects, including:

• PRC-024 (Ride-through requirements)
• FAC-001 & FAC-002 (Interconnection requirements)
• MOD-025 & PRC-019 (Model and data verifications)
  
  

FERC’s 2022 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) further emphasizes the need for regulatory support in areas like modeling, validation, and performance requirements.

Stakeholder Engagement and Future Outlook

Stakeholder working groups such as the Inverter-Based Resource Subcommittee (IRPS) and the Electromagnetic Transient Task Force (EMTTF) foster collaborative advancement. Their efforts include modeling guidance, white paper development, and input to NERC’s Reliability and Security Technical Committee (RSTC).

NERC’s commitment to stakeholder education is evident in events like the 2023 Grid Forming Webinar and ESIG-NERC joint workshops, where industry practitioners discuss challenges and innovations.

Keentel Engineering’s Role in IBR Integration

At Keentel Engineering, we support developers, utilities, and ISOs with:

• IBR model validations
• EMT and dynamic stability studies
• Ride-through setting optimization
• NERC PRC, MOD, and FAC compliance services
  
  

Our experienced team ensures clients are not only meeting compliance benchmarks but also building resilient, forward-thinking renewable portfolios.

Interested For more Information? Visit: Keentel Engineering compliance services

Conclusion

The NERC “Quick Reference Guide” is more than a catalog of activities—it’s a strategic blueprint for the future of power system reliability in a world dominated by inverter-based technologies. Keentel Engineering stands ready to assist stakeholders in adopting these practices, closing reliability gaps, and leading the charge toward a sustainable grid.

Need Expert Help Navigating NERC Compliance?

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