What is a NERC Alert

NERC utilizes an Alert Portal (connected to verified emails) as an essential communication pathway to inform entities about emerging or critical issues that can affect reliability and security of North America’s bulk power system.  This insight will give a brief overview of the Alert System and best practices to maintain the Alert Portal for your entity.

NERC Alerts can be released at any time of the year and will come with one of three varying levels to address the severity of the notification:

• Industry Advisory (Level 1): An informational notice to the electric industry concerning potential security and reliability issues. A response to this is not required.
• Recommendation to Industry (Level 2): Whereas a Level 1 Alert is purely informative, a Level 2 Alert has a required set of actions. Usually this is a detailed set of responses that an entity must complete based on their registration.  Responses may ask for a basic response (Yes/No/Not Applicable) or can be complex (requiring entities to submit detailed supplemental documentation).
• Essential Action (Level 3): The most critical Alert Level, this identifies immediate actions that must be taken by entities to ensure BES security and reliability. Level 3 Alerts requires the NERC Board of Trustees to approve prior to issuance, an additional step that demonstrates its importance to the electrical industry.  Like Recommendations, Essential Actions require time-sensitive responses and can be very in-depth.

The NERC Compliance Registry is the official database of owners, operators, and users of the BES that are subject to NERC’s compliance monitoring and enforcement.  The NERC Alert Portal uses this Compliance Registry to determine who receives alerts and required actions that must be taken.  For example, the same NERC Alert could be released to both Transmission Owners (TO) and Transmission Planners (TP) but have very different requirements within that same alert.  It is important to note that for Generator Owners and Operators (GO/GOP), NERC Alerts have typically only affected Category 1 entities.  However, by April 2026 all Category 2 Inverter Based Resources (IBRs) will be included on the NERC Compliance Registry and could be subject to future NERC Alert requirements.

What happens when a NERC Alert is released?  It contains time sensitive requirements ensuring that the Registered Entity has received the notification and taken appropriate actions.  Often the NERC Alert will contain 3 key actions:

• Acknowledge: By acknowledging the information released in the Alert, this verifies that the information provided has been received. Often a Level 1 Alert will only need acknowledgement and no other follow-up actions are required.
• Respond: Level 2 and Level 3 Alerts require written responses to questions and in some cases very detailed supporting documentation. It is important to ensure questions are answered completely and any supplemental materials provided align with provided responses.
• Approval: Once responses to Level 2 or 3 Alerts have been entered into the portal, the final step is to review and approve them. Once this step is taken the information is then sent to NERC for review.  Depending on the severity of the Alert, a review might be immediate or may be compiled for future standards development and revisions.

Who should manage and have access to the NERC Alert Portal?  An Entity can set up multiple personnel to have access to the NERC Alert Portal (with various permission levels). However, it is required to first set up a Primary Compliance Contact (PCC) that will be the lead person that ensures all requirements of the NERC Alert are fulfilled.  We encourage you to set up the NERC Alert Portal with a team-based approach and include designated representatives from internal Compliance, Engineering, and IT Security Departments.  Additionally external compliance contacts those at Utility Services can be added to the NERC Alert Portal to help guide you through the system and alert process.

What happens if I ignore NERC Alerts?  We strongly discourage any entities from ignoring NERC Alerts or not taking recommended actions seriously.  When reviewing Alerts ensure responses to Level 2 and Level 3 Alerts are accurate and completely answer the questions being asked.  If supplemental materials are to be included in the response, review them as well. Repercussions from ignoring NERC Alerts or not fulfilling essential actions may include fines and/or possible enforcement actions with mitigation plans to address the non-compliance.

Bottom Line:  It is vital to not overlook the NERC Alert System – it is a critical communication component to NERC’s mission of a secure and reliable electric grid.  The portal provides an immediate pathway to alert Registered Entities of potential or known risks (both physical and digital) while sharing recommendations of best practices to mitigate vulnerabilities.  If you would like more guidance setting up and maintaining the NERC Alert Portal, our team at Utility Services is glad to help.