results of these studies indicated a need for a high degree of coordination of the system planning, design, and operating functions between interconnected utilities. The National Electric Reliability Council (NERC) and the Regional Reliability Councils were established to encourage this coordination. The nine Regional Reliability Councils encompass essentially all of the power systems of the United States and the Canadian systems in Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, and New Brunswick. The area covered by each of these councils and the abbreviations commonly used for each are shown in Figure 2.1. Each of the Regional Reliability Councils has developed slightly different reliability criteria for testing and evaluating simulated future system designs which reflect the differences which exist in geography, population density, load pattern, power sources, etc. The variation of the load densities from region to region is shown in Table 2.1 as an example. However, the overall goals of the various councils are essentially uniform. Regional boundaries are only arbitrary lines of demarcation, thus criteria in adjoining regions or continguous utilities on regional borders must be compatible. Joint agreements between regions exist and studies to assure compatibility of reliability criteria are performed. Table 2.1 Regional Load Density (1974) (contiguous U.S. only)
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