What two methods does NERC recommend for verifying a system's power restoration plan?

NERC recommends the use of actual testing in the power system and simulation testing with computer models as effective methods for verifying a system's power restoration plan. This approach allows for a comprehensive assessment of the restoration process under realistic conditions and scenarios.

Actual testing enables operators to evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of their power restoration procedures in real-time situations, providing critical insights into the functioning of the system and identification of any potential issues. This hands-on experience is invaluable for training personnel and ensuring that the restoration plan can be executed effectively when needed.

Simulation testing with computer models complements this by allowing system operators to create various scenarios that may not occur during actual testing. These simulations can explore a wide range of potential failure modes, emergency situations, or system configurations without putting the actual grid at risk. By using these models, operators can analyze how the system would respond to different challenges, therefore fine-tuning and preparing their restoration plans more thoroughly.

The combination of both methods provides a robust framework for ensuring that the power restoration plan is not only theoretically sound but also practical and executable in the event of an actual outage.