​​​​​​AC

alternating current

Btu

Abbreviation for British thermal unit, the amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of a pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit.

Bulk Electric System (BES)​​

The parts of the power grid that are subject to NERC Reliability Standards.

Bulk-Power System (BPS)

All interconnected electric systems that make up the power grid.

Compliance 101

Our Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program (CMEP) checks entities to make sure they comply with mandatory reliability standards approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and by authorities in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, and in Baja California, Mexico.

Compliance staff —

• Recommends the registration of entities for applicable functions to NERC,
• Assists in the registration process,
• Ensures there are no omissions in registering entities in the Western Interconnection, and
• Helps resolve registration disputes.

Compliance staff monitors Registered Entities to make sure they follow NERC standards. When an entity violates reliability standards, WECC’s Compliance Enforcement staff reviews, monitors, and verifies mitigation plans filed by Registered Entities to correct violations. Enforcement staff also determines penalties for violations and holds settlement negotiations with Registered Entities when requested.

DC

direct current

HVDC

high voltage direct current

Hz

Abbreviation for hertz, a unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second.

interconnect

To connect or become connected.

interconnection

An interconnection is a physically and electrically defined area that comprises the infrastructure, entities, policies, and operations of the Bulk Electric System.

kV

Abbreviation for kilovolts. A kilovolt is 1,000 volts.

kVA

Abbreviation for kilovolt-amperes. A kilovolt-ampere is 1,000 volt-amperes.

kW

Abbreviation for kilowatt. A kilowatt is 1,000 watts.

kWh

Abbreviation for kilowatt-hour. A kilowatt-hour is a measurement of electrical energy equal to the consumption of 1,000 watts per hour.

MBtu

Abbreviation for one million British thermal units.

MW

Abbreviation for megawatt. A megawatt is one million watts.

MWh

Abbreviation for megawatt-hour. A megawatt-hour is a measurement of electrical energy equal to the consumption of one million watts per hour.

MVA

Abbreviation for megavolt-ampere. A megavolt-ampere is one million volt-amperes.

MVAr

Abbreviation for megavolt-amperes (reactive). An MVAr is a way of expressing reactive power.

NERC Entity Names

Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC)
​Midwest Reliability Organization (MRO)
Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC)
ReliabilityFirst Corporation (RFC)
Southeast Reliability Corporation (SERC)
Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP)
Texas Reliability Entity (TRE)
Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC)​

WECC 101

WECC is a not-for-profit organization that works to mitigate risks effectively and efficiently to the reliability and security of the Western Interconnection’s bulk power system. WECC operates under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved delegation agreement with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and in accordance with WECC’s Bylaws.

WECC neither owns electric infrastructure, such as transmission lines or generation plants, nor has authority or jurisdiction over the siting, permitting, cost allocation, or construction of transmission projects. WECC works with stakeholders in the Western Interconnection to keep the bulk power system reliable and secure.

The area extends from Canada to Mexico and includes Alberta and British Columbia, all or parts of the 14 Western states, and northern Baja California.

​Western Interconnection

The Western Interconnection is a physically and electrically defined area that comprises the infrastructure of the Bulk Electric System. It extends from Canada to Mexico. It includes the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, the northern part of Baja California in Mexico, and all or part of the 14 Western states in between.

WREGIS 101​

The Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System (WREGIS) is an independent, renewable energy tracking system for the region covered by WECC. WREGIS tracks renewable energy generation from units that register in the system by using verifiable data and creating renewable energy certificates (REC) for this generation.

​WREGIS creates a certificate with a unique serial number for each megawatt-hour of renewable energy produced by these registered units. These certificates may be used by electricity suppliers, other energy market participants, and policymakers to verify compliance with state, provincial, and voluntary programs and regulatory requirements.

WREGIS:

• Provides generation tracking services to more than 600 customers and 3,000 generating units throughout the Western Interconnection;
• Gathers and tracks data, including meter information from qualified entities, and e-tag information for energy delivery for Renewable Portfolio Standards compliance;
• Conducts audits to provide assurance that its data is accurate and educates account holders on data collection best practices; and
• Provides aggregated data on account holders, generating units, and certificates.