By Jim Stanton of ICF International and published in the January 2007 issue of
POWERmagazine, "Focus on O&M." Users of the Bulk Electric Power System in the United States and parts of Canada will soon be required to comply with enforceable reliability standards from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). These standards apply to generator owners and operators, transmission providers, load serving entities, and power marketers. Measures of compliance with these standards bring increased attention to the operational skills of the users of the system, along with financial penalties and public disclosure for violators.