What is the primary purpose of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)?

The primary purpose of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is to promote grid reliability and security. NERC plays a critical role in ensuring that the bulk power system in North America operates reliably. This involves establishing and enforcing compliance with reliability standards, monitoring the reliability of the electric grid, and ensuring that electric utility companies adhere to these standards. By focusing on reliability and security, NERC helps prevent outages and enhances the overall stability of the electrical grid, which is crucial for maintaining the continuous supply of electricity to consumers and businesses.

In contrast, generating electricity is the responsibility of electric power producers, while selling electric power to consumers is the domain of utility companies. Additionally, developing renewable energy sources is typically handled by energy developers and utilities and falls outside of NERC’s primary regulatory functions. Thus, promoting grid reliability and security is at the core of NERC's mission.