NERC Standards and Compliance Key Dates for Power Sector Professionals

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) issued a Standards, Compliance, and Enforcement Bulletin on April 7, 2025, highlighting important upcoming deadlines and changes in NERC standards (nerc.comnerc.com). The bulletin outlines enforcement milestones for standards like PRC-002, TOP-002, and CIP-012, all crucial for maintaining the security, planning, and operational integrity of the bulk power system. Below is a chronological “calendar” of key events, new or revised standards, and compliance-related milestones drawn from that bulletin.

NERC Standards and Compliance Key Dates (2025–2027)

Date	Event	Relevant NERC Standard(s)	Compliance Details / Notes
Apr 1, 2025	Enforcement Date	PRC-002-5, PRC-028-1	Updated disturbance monitoring requirements take effect. PRC-028-1 applies to inverter-based resources.
Apr 9–10, 2025	CCC Spring Committee Meeting	General	Review of compliance program activities that may affect implementation of various NERC standards.
Apr 9, 2025	Align System Maintenance (8:00–11:00 p.m. ET)	N/A	Registered entities will be unable to submit/view compliance data in Align.
Apr 18, 2025	Nomination Deadline for Drafting Teams	MOD-031, Project 2020-06	Industry experts can volunteer to shape data and modeling standards
Apr 22, 2025	Ballot Pool Signup Deadline	Project 2024-01 (GO/GOP Definitions)	Last day to sign up for voting on proposed rule alignments.
Apr 23, 2025	Informational Webinar (2:00–3:00 p.m. ET)	Project 2024-01	Overview and Q&A on GO/GOP definition alignment draft.
Apr 23, 2025	Texas RE Workshop	Multiple	Regional forum on latest reliability, security, and compliance updates.
May 1, 2025	RSTC Committee Meeting (1:00–3:00 p.m. ET)	General	Reliability and security issues reviewed. Potential future guidance or endorsements.
May 1, 2025	Public Comment Deadline – UFLS Guideline	UFLS (Under-Frequency Load Shedding)	Final day to submit input on DER-related UFLS guideline.
May 7, 2025	Comment Deadline – Project 2024-01 Draft 1	GO/GOP Definitions	Submit input on draft standard affecting Generator Owners and Operators.
May 16, 2025	CMWG Nomination Deadline	Credential Maintenance (NERC Certified)	Apply to serve on NERC’s working group for operator credential maintenance.
May 20, 2025	Webinar: “Compliance & Registration for IBRs” (10:30–12:00 p.m. ET)	PRC-002, PRC-028	Training for inverter-based resource (IBR) compliance and registration.
Jun 3–5, 2025	IBR Milestone 3 Industry Workshop	PRC-002, PRC-028, CIP-012	Multi-day discussion on high-IBR system integration.
Jul 1, 2025	Enforcement Date	IRO-010-5, TOP-003-6.1	Data exchange rules go into effect for RCs, BAs, and TOPs
Oct 1, 2025	Enforcement Date	TOP-002-5	Updated operations planning requirements become enforceable.
Apr 1, 2026	Enforcement Date	CIP-003-9, TPL-008-1	Enhanced cybersecurity and extreme temperature scenario planning standards take effect.
Jul 1, 2026	Enforcement Date	CIP-012-2	Requires protection of communications between control centers.
Oct 1, 2026	Enforcement Date	TOP-003-7	Additional refinements to data and information exchange requirements for TOPs and BAs.
Apr 1, 2027	Enforcement Date	BAL-007-1	Entities must begin conducting near-term energy reliability assessments.

Note: For a comprehensive list of events and standards deadlines, refer to NERC’s official compliance calendar and effective dates page. The above dates, drawn from the April 7, 2025 NERC bulletin, underscore the evolving reliability standards landscape. Compliance leaders should integrate these milestones into their operational plans to ensure all regulatory obligations are met and to take advantage of engagement opportunities (workshops, webinars) for staying informed (nerc.comnerc.com). Stay ahead of NERC CIP deadlines with this 2025–2027 compliance calendar, highlighting key standards, enforcement dates, and industry events. Keeping ahead of these key dates will help organizations maintain reliability and avoid potential non-compliance as standards and requirements evolve.