NERC QUESTINS AND ANSWERS

What entity balances generation and monitors/employs contingency reserves? - Answer- Balancing Authority (BA) What entity has the widest system view and is the "supervisor"? - Answer- Reliability coordinator (RC) What entity monitors transmission lines and operates tap-changers, breakers, capacitors, etc? - Answer- Transmission Operators (TOP) What is a group of BAs that have agreements to help cover each other's reserve and regulation requirements? - Answer- Reserve Sharing Group (RSG) What entity schedules energy transitions and buys and sells energy? - Answer- Purchasing and Selling Entity (PSE) What's an LSE? - Answer- Load serving entity. (what it sounds like What's the difference between a GOP and a GO? - Answer- Generator Operator (entity that operates the generation). Generator Owner (owns generation, in charge of certain requirements needed to operate a generator in the NERC world) What does SCADA stand for? What's it do? - Answer- Supervisory control and data acquisition. It's the program/screen you use to see your equipment and operate it. (you'd see all your busses, breakers, switches, generators, capacitors, etc) What is inertia? - Answer- The kinetic energy "stored" in the power system's large, synchronous generators. Upon a loss of generation, inertia opposes the slowing of frequency. What is a "peaking" generator? - Answer- A generator that only comes on during the load peak in the day. Typically gas turbines. Name two types of generators that don't provide inertia. - Answer- Wind and Solar What can fuel restrictions lead to? - Answer- Capacity concerns (wet coal, natural gas distribution issues) What is p.u. - Answer- Per unit". 347kv of a line rated to 345kv will be slightly over 1.0 p.u. What are the units of Power? What are the units of Energy? - Answer- MW. MWH (MW-hrs).