Regional Standards
Metrics are based on information available in 2021 - 2022 for all tables
North America
In the North American bulk power system, most regions rely on the 0.1 days/year LOLE, which is also known as the one-event-in-ten-years RA standard, and have done so for many decades [1]. In general, the 0.1 days/year LOLE standard translates to more than a 10% planning reserve margin [2]. In addition to a system-wide planning reserve margin of 15%, California has local and flexibility RA requirements. The local RA requirement is determined using the 1-in-10 weather year and an N-1-1 contingency, which represent the minimum resources needed if the two largest contingencies fail within thirty minutes of each other. The flexibility RA requirement is determined based on comparing the largest three-hour ramp for each month to the three-hour ramp capability of resources that are qualified to bid into the market as flexible. In Hawaii, adequacy is assessed in resource planning studies using the Energy Reserve Margin (ERM) targets of 30% for Oahu, Hawaii, and Maui islands, and 60% for Molokai and Lanai islands.
| Country or Region | RA MetricsCriteria | Entity Calculating RA Metric |
|---|---|---|
| North America [1],[2] | ||
| MISO | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | MISO |
| MRO-Manitoba Hydro | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | Manitoba Public Utilities Board |
| NPCC-Maritimes | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | Maritimes Sub-areas and NPCC |
| NPCC-New England | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | ISO-NE and NPCC |
| NPCC-New York | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | NYSRC and NPCC |
| NPCC-Ontario | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | IESO and NPCC |
| NPCC-Québec | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | Hydro-Québec and NPCC |
| PJM Interconnection | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | PJM Board of Managers |
| SERC-C | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | Member Utilities |
| SERC-E | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | Member Utilities |
| SERC-FP | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | Florida Public Service Commission |
| SERC-SE | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | Member Utilities |
| SPP | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | SPP RTO Staff and Stakeholders |
| TRE-ERCOT 1 | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | ERCOT Board of Directors |
| WECC-AB | LOLP 2 ≤ 0.02% | WECC |
| WECC-BC | LOLP ≤ 0.02% | WECC |
| WECC-NWPP-US & RMRG [3] | LOLE ≤ 0.1 days/year | WECC |
| WECC-SRSG | LOLP ≤ 0.02% | WECC |
| WECC-CAMX [4] | PRM ≥ 15% | CPUC |
| Additional local and flexible RA requirements | ||
| Hawaii [5] | ERM ≥ 30% (3 islands), 60% (2 islands) | HECO |
1 LOLE is reported as a guideline metric and not as a requirement in the ERCOT system, which relies on energy only and scarcity pricing to meet RA needs.
2The LOLP metrics for the WECC represent an event-period of 1 day and a horizon of 10 years.
[1] J. P. Pfeifenberger, K. Spees, K. Carden, and N. Wintermantel. “Resource Adequacy Requirements: Reliability and Economic Implications.” September 2013.
[2] North American Electric Reliability Corporation. “2020 Long-Term Reliability Assessment.” December 2020.
[3] Northwest Power Pool. “NWPP Resource Adequacy Program - Detailed Design.” July 2021.
[4] California Public Utilities Commission. “Resource Adequacy Homepage."
[5] Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. “Adequacy of Supply.” January 29, 2021.
Europe
In Europe, many countries use the LOLH metric, which ranges from 3–8 hours/year. Belgium’s power system requires an LOLH95 of less than 20 hours/year, in addition to maintaining an LOLH of less than 3 hours/year. LOLH95 represents the LOLH at the 95th percentile of the cumulative density function of the needed LOLH. Accounting for LOLH95 inserts tail events into the definition of RA. Tail events may become more important as power systems become more exposed to events driven by climate change. In Spain, island grids require an LOLE of one day in 10 years, while mainland Spain operates according to a 10% planning reserve margin requirement.
| Country or Region | RA MetricsCriteria | Entity Calculating RA Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Europe [6,7] | ||
| Belgium [8] | LOLH ≤ 3 hours/year | Elia Group |
| LOLH953 ≤ 20 hours/year | ||
| France [9] | LOLH ≤ 3 hours/year | RTE |
| Great Britain [10] | LOLH ≤ 3 hours/year | National Grid ESO |
| Ireland and Northern Ireland [11] | LOLH ≤ 8 hours/year (Ireland) | EirGrid and SONI |
| LOLH ≤ 4.9 hours/year (Northern Ireland) | ||
| Netherlands [12] | LOLH ≤ 4 hours/year | TenneT |
| Poland [13] | LOLH ≤ 3 hours/year | PSE |
| Portugal [14] | LOLH ≤ 5 hours/year | REN |
| Spain [14,15] | PRM ≥ 10% (Mainland) | REE |
| LOLE ≤ 1 day in 10 years (Island grids) | ||
3 This is known as LOLE95 in Belgium to cover load for a statistically abnormal year. This has been modified to LOLH95 here for consistency; units are in hours per year, rather than days per year.
[6] M. Poncela Blanco, A. Spisto, N. Hrelja, and G. Fulli. “Generation Adequacy Methodologies Overview.” European Commission Joint Research Centre, September 2016.
[7] European Commission. “Identification of Appropriate Generation and System Adequacy Standards for the Internal Electricity Market – Final Report.” EC Directorate-General for Energy, Brussels, 2016.
[8] Elia Group. “Adequacy and Flexibility Study for Belgium 2022-2032.” 2021.
[9] Wind Europe. “Assessing Resource Adequacy in an Integrated EU Power System.” June 2016.
[10] National Grid ESO. “National Grid ESO Electricity Capacity Report.” May 31, 2020.
[11] Eirgrid and SONI. “All-Island Generation Capacity Statement 2021-2030.” 2021.
[12] TenneT. “Adequacy analyses voor scenario’s met vervroegde (tijdelijke) sluiting van kolencentrales in Nederland.” February 24, 2020.
[13] Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne. “Development Plan for meeting the current and future electricity demand for 2021-2030.” 2020.
[14] Wind Europe. “Assessing Resource Adequacy in an Integrated EU Power System.” June 2016.
[15] Ministerio de Industria, Energía y Turismo. “Planificación Energética. Plan de Desarrollo de la Red de Transporte de Energía Eléctrica 2015 – 2020.” 2015.
Oceania
In Oceania, two countries are reported. In Australia, the National Electricity Market (NEM), which covers the vast majority of Australia’s total load, assesses the adequacy of the power system based on 0.002% NEUE. The smaller Australia winter energy margin (WEM), which covers southwest Western Australia, requires a reserve margin that is calculated as the greater of 7.6% of the one-in-ten years forecast peak demand plus the intermittent load allowance or the capacity of the largest generating unit. In New Zealand, the supply standards include a WEM of greater than or equal to 14–16% on a national level, a WEM of greater than or equal to 25.5 to 30% for the South Island, and a winter capacity margin (WCM) of greater than or equal to 630 to 780 MW for the North Island.
| Country or Region | RA MetricsCriteria | Entity Calculating RA Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Oceania | ||
| Australia-NEM [16] | NEUE ≤ 0.002% per region | AEMO |
| Australia-NT [17] | NEUE ≤ 0.002% | AEMO |
| Australia-WEM [18] | PRM ≥ WEM metric 4 | AEMO |
| NEUE ≤ 0.002% | ||
| New Zealand [19,20] | WEM ≥ 14-16% (New Zealand) | Transpower |
| WEM ≥ 25.5-30% (South Island) | ||
| WCM ≥ 630-780 MW (North Island) | ||
4 The WEM metric for PRM is calculated as the greater of 7.6% of the one-in-ten year forecast peak demand plus an intermittent load allowance or the capacity of the largest generating unit. An intermittent load is normally fully served by embedded generation and only requires electricity from the grid when its embedded generator is not operating.
[15] Ministerio de Industria, Energía y Turismo. “Planificación Energética. Plan de Desarrollo de la Red de Transporte de Energía Eléctrica 2015 – 2020.” 2015.
[16] Australian Energy Market Operator. “2021 Electricity Statement of Opportunities, A report for the National Electricity Market.” August 2021.
[17] Utilities Commission of the Northern Territory. “Northern Territory Electricity Outlook Report.” 2020.
[18] Australian Energy Market Operator. “2021 Electricity Statement of Opportunities, A Report for the Wholesale Electricity Market.” June 2021.
[19] Transpower New Zealand Limited. “Security of Supply Annual Assessment 2020.” April 2020.
[20] New Zealand Electricity Authority. “Electricity Industry Participation Code.” 2010.
Africa
In South Africa, Eskom performs a RA assessment of the country based on three system adequacy metrics. The first metric requires the unserved energy to be less than 20 GWh per year. The second metric requires the combined capacity factor of the open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) plant in operation to be less than 6% per year. The third metric requires the capacity factor of a contingency coal-fired baseload station to be less than 50% per year.
| Country or Region | RA MetricsCriteria | Entity Calculating RA Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | ||
| South Africa [21] | EUE < 20 GWh/year | Eskom |
| OCGT capacity factor 5 < 6%/year | ||
| Baseload stations capacity factor 6 < 50%/year | ||
5 This is the combined capacity factor of the open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) plant in operation in a year.
6 This is the capacity factor of a contingency coal-fired baseload station in a year.
[21] Fabricius, N. Sigwebela, S. Damba, P. Rambau, D. Magapa, and S. Makopo, “Medium-Term System Adequacy Outlook 2020.” October 30, 2020.
Asia
In Asia, most of the countries for which publicly available information was found use either PRM or LOLH for RA standards. The PRM metric ranges from 8% to 30%, while LOLH ranges from 3 to 12 hours/year. India uses a NEUE of less than or equal to 0.05%, in addition to its LOLP standard. Malaysia requires an LOLE metric of 1 day/year.
| Country or Region | RA MetricsCriteria | Entity Calculating RA Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | ||
| India [22] | LOLP 7 ≤ 0.2% | CEA |
| NEUE ≤ 0.05% | ||
| Indonesia [23] | PRM (2019-2028) ≥ 30% (National) | Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources |
| Japan [24] | PRM (2020-2029) ≥ 8% per region | OCCTO |
| Laos [25] | PRM (2020-2030) ≥ 15% | Ministry of Energy and Mines |
| Malaysia [26] | LOLE ≤ 1 days/year | TNB |
| Philippines [27] | PRM (2017-2040) ≥ 25% | DOE |
| Singapore [28]up> | LOLH ≤ 3 hours/year | EMA |
| Thailand [30]up> | PRM (2015-2036) ≥ 15% | EGAT |
| Vietnam [32] | LOLH ≤ 12 hours/year per region | MOIT |
7 The LOLP metric for India represents an event-period of 1 hour and a horizon of 1 year.
[22] Central Electricity Authority. “National Electricity Plan.” January 2018.
[23] Asian Development Bank. “ADB-PLN Electrical Grid Strengthening Program: Ongoing and Planned Support.” February 23, 2021.
[24] Organization for Cross-regional Coordination of Transmission Operators, Japan. “Aggregation of Electricity SupplyPlans, Fiscal Year 2020.” June 2020.
[25] Xaiyalath. “Power Development Plan 2020-2030 of Lao PDR.” Ministry of Energy and Mines, January 28, 2020.
[26] Tenaga Nasional Bhd. “Third Regulatory Period for Electricity Sector.” October 26, 2020.
[27] A. Bariso. “Philippine Energy Plan 101.” Department of Energy, October 30, 2018.
[28] Energy Market Authority. “Determining the Required Reserve Margin to Maintain a Reliable Electricity Supply in Singapore.”
[29] Energy Market Authority. “Singapore Electricity Market Outlook (SEMO) 2020.” December 30, 2020.
[30] Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. “The approval of Thailand Power Development Plan.” August 24, 2012.
[31] International Energy Agency. “Thailand Electricity Security Assessment.” April 14, 2016.
[32] USAID V-LEEP. “Technical Report: Impact Analysis of Integrating Significant Renewable Energy in Vietnam’s Power Sector:A PLEXOS-based Analysis of Long-term Power Development Planning.” March 18, 2021.
Middle East
Certain countries in the Middle East implement planning reserve margins for adequacy and have lower values for these compared to other regions globally. The PRM in Qatar is 6% and 8-10% in Saudi Arabia. In Oman, the LOLH standard of 24 hours/year is relatively higher than in other countries worldwide. The Gulf Coordinating Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) operates the interconnection between Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain. Kuwait, and United Arab Emirates, and has a 5 hours/year LOLH criterion for the entire region, which is then allocated to member states based on peak load.
| Country or Region | RA MetricsCriteria | Entity Calculating RA Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Middle East | ||
| Saudi Arabia [33] | PRM (2016) ≥ 8-10% | SEC |
| Oman [34] | LOLH ≤ 24 hours/year | OPWP |
| Qatar [35] | PRM (2019) ≥ 6% | KAHRAMAA |
[33] O. I. Asiri, Y. A. Alturki, M. S. Al-Saud, and M. A. El-kady. “Reliability Evaluation of Riyadh System Incorporating Renewable Generation.” November 2016.
[34] Oman Power and Water Company. “7-Year Statement, Issue 13 (2019 – 2025).” 2019.
[35] International Renewable Energy Agency. “Power Sector Planning in Arab Countries: Incorporating Variable Renewables.” April 21-24, 2019.
The purpose of this site is to bring together information to help those trying to assess resource adequacy. It draws on a wide range of work that EPRI and the industry has conducted in response to the challenges arising as power systems evolve. We welcome your feedback and suggestions to make this website increasingly useful to support you and your decisions.