Grid Reliability and its Vital Signs

by Jessica Bian

IEEE PES Secretary

Abstract

Frequency, voltage, customer interruption. What do these vital signs tell us about the bulk power system? Learn the grid health underlying the vital signs and how to accurately assess them.  This lecture will explore reliability aspects of bulk power system so that you will develop a systematic, integrated understanding of how to assess the bulk power system reliability.  Additional indicators include energy emergency alerts, transmission outage rates, protection system operations, and resource reserve margin.  The presentation will also provide ranges, trends, and driving factors that influence changes in these indicators.

Biography of the Presenter

Dr. Jessica Bian is a visionary leader and architect. She has spearheaded electric industry's reliability metrics and grid risk assessment. Currently she is the Vice President of Grid Services at Grid-X Partners. Before that, she was with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Washington, DC. Previously, she was the Director of Performance Analysis at North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Under her leadership, a total of 18 industry-wide reliability indicators were established to determine grid reliability, adequacy, and associated risks. She is widely recognized as a pioneer and trusted world leader in the field.

Before joining NERC, Dr. Bian was with PJM, ERCOT and Westinghouse Electric. She earned her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Tulane University and published over 70 articles. She volunteers at the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES), and has been the Society Secretary since 2016. This year she is a candidate for the PES President-Elect.