WASHINGTON, D.C. – NERC came to be in June 1968 in the wake of the 1965 Northeast Blackout. Over the past 50 years, NERC matured tremendously and became an independent voice dedicated to the reliability, security and resiliency of the North American bulk power system.
In honor of this evolution and those who played key roles in it, NERC published a history illustrating the challenges and changes of those 50 years. The History of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation records NERC’s growth from a voluntary international organization formed by electric utilities to the collective ERO Enterprise it is today — one that works jointly with users, owners and operators of bulk power system assets, government partners and other stakeholders and industry participants to benefit nearly 400 million North American citizens.
“History can easily be lost as time passes; people move on, and memories fade,” writes Roy Thilly, NERC Board of Trustees chair, in the book’s foreword. “This project was undertaken to be sure that we preserve the history of the key events of NERC’s first 50 years and recognize the individuals responsible for NERC’s many accomplishments during this period.”
The book was authored by David Nevius, former NERC senior vice president, who played a pivotal role during his 35 years at the company.
The electricity industry continues to undergo significant change that is unprecedented for both its transformational nature and rapid pace, presenting both new challenges to reliability and security and opportunities for contributing to system resilience. The ERO Enterprise maintains its dedication to supporting industry while it navigates these changes and reducing existing and emerging risks to the reliability and security of the bulk power system over the next 50 years.
