Transmission Planning and Modeling Risk Element

In October 2024, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and the Regional Entities released the 2025 Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program (CMEP) Implementation Plan (IP). The CMEP IP describes the risks that are priorities for a given year, which the ERO Enterprise uses to direct its monitoring and enforcement efforts.

Transmission planning and modeling is a new risk element, representing the increased need for system planning assessments that will accurately capture systemic performance issues. According to the 2025 ERO Reliability Risk Priorities Report, grid transformation is among the five most critical risk profiles impacting the electric grid today. The surge in inverter-based resources (IBRs) combined with large loads, data centers, and population growth have shifted the calculus required to balance demand and load. Planning is a continuous process that always has room for the latest ideas and processes. The ERO Enterprise is doing its part by including modeling and verification in reliability assessments.

Raising awareness of this risk is crucial to maintaining a safe and reliable electric grid. Transmission planning and modeling focuses on load growth concerns across the Bulk Electric System (BES). This risk element addresses reliability gaps and concerns in model validation and planning, as well as proper use of data mining and modeling data.

Registered entities may expect to see the applicable Standards and Requirements in the table below to appear in compliance engagements. This is an opportunity for registered entities to review their planning and modeling data as well as practices.