As the transmission grid becomes more complex—expanding to accommodate renewables, large-scale loads like data centers, and the ever-growing web of regulatory requirements—compliance has risen to the top of utility priorities. Navigating the dense framework of NERC standards and FERC orders can be daunting, but it’s also essential for ensuring reliability, avoiding costly fines, and maintaining public trust. Few are better positioned to provide perspective on this challenge than Bill Meehan, Director of Utility Solutions at Esri, who has long been at the intersection of GIS innovation and utility operations.
In this latest installment of our “Checking In” series with Energy Central Experts, Bill breaks down how GIS technology can serve as a powerful tool for transmission compliance—transforming data from a scattered “junk drawer” into a unified system that enables monitoring, reporting, and proactive risk management. From digital twins and drone imagery to AI-driven inspections and real-time analytics, he shares a glimpse of how cutting-edge geospatial tools are already reshaping compliance strategies for utilities. Bill also offers candid advice for leaders just starting their GIS journey, providing a practical roadmap for aligning compliance obligations with broader digital transformation initiatives.
Keep reading to learn from Bill’s expertise and experience.
Matt Chester: When we talk about "transmission compliance" as a current challenge for utilities, what exactly does that entail, and why has it especially recently become such a critical focus area?
Bill Meehan: The challenge for utilities that own and operate electric transmission, especially the transmission that falls under the category of Bulk Electric System or BES, is the scope and complexity of the various regulations in the US. To clarify, BES is the high voltage transmission system (lines and substations) with 100,000 volts and higher voltages, and it is part of the grid. So 69kV lines and 115 and 138kV lines and associated radial equipment are not considered part of the BES.
Let's take scope. BESs must be compliant with NERC standards.
There are 14 NERC families of standards. Each has between 6 and 107 specific named standards with many requirements listed. For example, FAC-008 has nine requirements. Some have more, some have less. Over the years, each standard has become more stringent. Thus, the complete set of NERC standards has well over 600 individual standards.
That's NERC.
Now there is also FERC. FERC doesn't have standards. Instead, it issues Orders. Orders are mandated actions that transmission operators and owners of BES transmission must comply with and demonstrate they did what was ordered in the case of FERC. For example, FERC 2023 mandates that BES owners and operators must produce "Heat Maps” that illustrate locations of capacity and generators that have submitted interconnection agreements and belong to a specific grouping of applications (called clusters). There are dozens of FERC orders, from the latest FERC Orders 1920 and 1977 to orders issued under the Federal Power Commission in the early 20th century. They are still in force to some extent unless withdrawn or superseded. Most of the FPC commission orders were incorporated into FERC orders when FERC was established in 1977.
Now, take complexity.
Each of the NERC standards and FERC orders requires careful reading of the standards and orders. The work to comply exceeds the normal and emergency work required of the operations and owners. That's a big challenge.
Failure to comply can result in fines. A huge challenge occurs when faced with a NERC audit. Staff can spend days and weeks providing evidence of compliance, and if gaps are uncovered, fixing them can result in significant costs.
MC: How does GIS technology uniquely support transmission compliance compared to traditional tools or approaches utilities may more commonly employ?
BM: I like to use the analogy of the classic kitchen junk drawer. Like old car keys or batteries, junk drawers are easy to store stuff in. Yet when it comes time to find something you know you put in the junk drawer, it becomes a scavenger hunt. The same is true for utilities. Compliance requires ready access to information. If the utility's data for a particular standard, for example, FAC-008, requires BES owners to confirm that all the series elements of a particular line have the same or higher ratings than the owner's claims. If the data to comply lives on paper, spreadsheets, or in multiple systems, it's like a junk drawer. Tough to comply, and what if the data from one system doesn't match? Crafting a comprehensive GIS that provides a gateway to all the data provides easy access to ensure compliance.
So, GIS is like dumping out the junk drawer and placing important data in one place with ease of access, awareness, and analysis. No more searching for that hidden clamp or connector we forgot about, with the lower rating. No more scavenger hunts and thus embarrassing and costly audits.
MC: Can you share some examples of how utilities are using GIS to monitor, document, and report compliance in real-world operations? Are there specific utilities or projects you can point to as doing this particularly well?
BM: The most common NERC standard is FAC-003, regarding clearances for vegetation. Transmission owners must demonstrate. BES owners digitize the GIS corridors, creating buffer zones, overlaying lidar, and land ownership. This effort provides visual identification of potential encroachments. Since the standard is based on location, GIS is the perfect compliance tool. At least one transmission organization, I am not allowed to name, streams its EMS data into the GIS. This allows the organization to monitor hazards such as wildfires and floods onto real-time data from the EMS. This process supports NERC TOP-001 and TOP-004.
MC: Transmission compliance often involves massive amounts of data across geographies—how does GIS help utilities make sense of that complexity?
BM: True – without GIS, transmission companies miss the critical element for situational awareness – spatial context. GIS organizes the data in a form natural to digest – something reports and spreadsheets can not do. GIS leverages spatial analysis and AI to provide Ah-ha moments
MC: What new advances in GIS technology are most exciting to you in this compliance space? How do AI, real-time analytics, or digital twins up the possibilities?
BM: Three things:
The digital twin – it's not just a 3D representation -it combines location, data, real-time, trends, and predictions into one representation. GIS is embracing this technology everywhere – a 3D GIS provides all the benefits of GIS plus advanced visualization and simulation. A dream of mine is to view a three-phase spatially correct model of a transmission line with real-time wind, temperature, and viewing the sagging and swaying, seeing how close the lines are to the encroachments -that a true digital twin and the GIS technology exists to do just that
Imagery and drone inspections have become so much better and faster than old foot patrol or even helicopter inspections.
AI and Spatial analysis combined. A great use case leverages machine learning to uncover damaged insulators by training the system to understand what a damaged insulator looks like, then analyzing hundreds of thousands of images to detect the location of damaged insulators just from the satellite image and routing the crews to the right location.
If we examine many of the NERC standards, the GIS enabled digital twin, imagery and spatial analysis as described above provides the framework for compliance of many of the standards, because it has the data and visualization to answer the tough questions raised by the standards. They are: 1) did you do what the standards stay – it’s a model, so yes, 2) did you do it on time? – yes the GIS tracks the data, 3) can you prove you complied - transparency is fundamental to GIS and 4) how are you going to close the gaps? – GIS dashboards illustrate the gaps and the progress closing them.
MC: As the transmission system expands to accommodate renewables and new loads like data centers and broader electrification, what role will GIS play in helping utilities stay compliant through that transition?
BM: GIS provides the data for the location of each of these new generators and loads. GIS is not only a mapping tool, it also provides an accurate connected model of the transmission system. Visualizing the impact of adding a generator or huge load, seeing the power disperse into the entire grid, so-called split analysis, and highlighting the impact is spectacular – all GIS.
MC: Finally, what advice would you give utility leaders who are just beginning to explore GIS as a compliance tool? Where should they start?
BM: Take each NERC standard and FERC Order and determine the top ten that have had the most history of failed audits and fines, or costly implementation, then determine if GIS can help, and then implement the apps in that order. Most will find that many of the standards have a lot to do with location. I would say FAC-008, CIP-014, TOP-001, FAC-003 and FERC Order 1920, 881, and 2023 are great places to start.