NERC has published an incident review examining the risks and challenges caused by the increasing integration of voltage-sensitive large loads, such as data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities, into the Bulk Electric System (BES).
The review highlighted the potential for load loss during normally cleared faults on the BES and underlined the increasing presence of voltage-sensitive loads within the system.
The review analyzed an event in the Eastern Interconnection demonstarting the vulnerability of the loads to voltage disturbances, expected to cause reliability implications. The future considerations from the incident analysis provided critical guidance for BES operators, planners, and regulators.
The research called for enhanced awareness and proactive measures to identify and mitigate the potential reliability risks associated with large voltage-sensitive load losses. The considerations are essential for ensuring the continued stability and reliability of the BES as the integration of such loads expands.
Transmission owners, transmission operators, transmission planners, and large-load owners are anticipated to work collaboratively to identify and mitigate reliability risks posed by the potential loss of the loads. NERC has requested all stakeholders to read the full review for detailed analysis and recommended actions to address the emerging reliability challenges.
