The Virginia Mountain Section of IEEE is pleased to present Dr. Jessica Bian from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to speak on the performance of the bulk power system and the complex issues affecting and driving reliability.  Please join us for a virtual presentation on Thursday, December 1, 2022 at 5:00PM EST and learn more about the North American Interconnected Bulk Electric System from one of the leading experts on reliability in the industry. Details on accessing the presentation will follow.

Abstract:

What is driving our industry to improve performance? How do we, as an industry, make sure we are performing to our customers’ expectations? In today’s power systems, every technology employed, trend established, and policy or standard implemented, should be done so with the best interests of the customer in mind.  The utility sector is economically immense and vast in geographic scope, and it combines ownership, management, and regulation in complex ways to achieve r  eliable energy service.  This presentation will provide a broad view on energy market regulation in the US, including a rulemaking process and landmark orders. It addition, it will explore how improving bulk power system performance through technology, data, and policies will benefit the customers of electric power.

Biography:

Jessica Bian is a visionary leader and architect. She has spearheaded electric industry’s reliability metrics and grid risk assessment. She is currently with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Prior to FERC, she was the Director of Performance Analysis at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). Under her leadership, a total of 18 industry-wide reliability indicators and three composite indices were established first time to determine the reliability, adequacy, and associated risks to the interconnected North American bulk power system. In spring 2012, she steered multiple technical industry groups and directed completion of the first-ever industry-wide State of Reliability report. It marked a major step forward in benchmarking the North American grid reliability. She is widely recognized as a pioneer and trusted world leader in the field.

Before joining NERC, Bian was with PJM Interconnection and ERCOT, responsible for real-time operations support, resource economic dispatch and operator training simulator projects. She started her career at Westinghouse Electric; was involved in generator design and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) applications.  Bian has led or participated in numerous IEEE PES technical committees since 1995. She holds two patents and published over 70 articles in transactions, journals and proceedings. She earned her Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Tulane University, M.Sc. degree from Electric Power Research Institute, Beijing, China, and B.Sc. degree from Taiyuan University of Technology, China.

Registration: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/333745