The outlook for reliability of the bulk power system this winter appears good, reports the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) annual Winter Reliability Assessment released last month. 2011/2012 Winter Reliability Assessment include:

"Based on projected generation and demand and regional self-assessments, the upcoming winter planning reserve margins appear adequate to maintain bulk power system reliability," said Mark Lauby, vice president and director of Reliability Assessment and Performance Analysis at NERC. "NERC and the Regional Entities have reviewed industry preparations for the upcoming winter season, and highlighted measures taken to address weather trends that may deviate from normal patterns."

NERC posted four cold snap lessons learned from industry outlining best practices for winter preparation and expects to publish more in the coming months. NERC and the Regional Entities continue to monitor industry winterization preparation progress. Key highlights from the

• Reserve margins across North America are forecast to be adequate for 2011/2012 winter season.
• Winter preparations, including winterization of assets in the southwestern United States, are ongoing.
• Industry continues to prepare for the ongoing drought conditions, which are unlikely to abate in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico due to La Niña weather patterns.
• Fossil-based fuel supplies and production appear to be adequate for the upcoming winter season.