As the energy landscape shifts toward renewables and distributed generation, inverter-based resources (IBRs) have quickly become a cornerstone of modern grid design. From rooftop solar to utility-scale battery systems, IBRs are changing not only how energy is produced but also how it flows, responds, and stays secure.
These changes bring opportunity—and risk. IBRs don’t behave like traditional generators, and that matters when stability, cybersecurity, and compliance are on the line.
The Grid is Evolving, But Are We Ready?
Traditionally, power flowed in one direction—from centralized generation stations to end users—anchored by rotating machines that offered inherent frequency and voltage support. But IBRs operate differently. They connect to the grid through electronic inverters that are governed by software logic and control algorithms.
Unlike spinning turbines, inverters don’t provide inertia. That means less natural resistance to frequency fluctuations, which increases the chance of instability during sudden changes. Their behavior during faults isn’t always intuitive, and it often depends on vendor-specific configurations that utilities may not fully control or even understand.
Stability is Becoming a Security Issue
When you rely on software to make real-time decisions during a disturbance, that software becomes part of your security surface. And when inverters are configured by third-party vendors, accessed remotely, or integrated into aggregation platforms, risk escalates.
Recent reliability events involving misconfigured inverters have caught the attention of NERC and the ERO Enterprise. Investigations into grid disturbances have shown that certain IBRs responded in ways that surprised operators—disconnecting during transients, failing to ride through voltage dips, or tripping en masse due to firmware behavior.
These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re indicators that system planners, operators, and compliance professionals need to account for IBRs as a new class of operational and cyber-physical risk.
The Compliance Landscape Is Catching Up
So far, most IBRs have lived outside the core scope of NERC CIP standards. But that’s changing. The more they influence bulk electric system reliability, the more scrutiny they attract. NERC has already issued whitepapers, alerts, and special assessments on the subject, and future regulatory guidance could bring more formal requirements for registered entities.
Even without explicit standards, there’s growing expectation that utilities:
- Understand how IBRs are configured and controlled
- Vet third-party vendors and aggregation platforms
- Include IBR scenarios in their risk assessments and incident response plans
IBRs are becoming a compliance concern by proximity. If they affect your ability to meet BES reliability objectives, they belong in your security planning.
Taking the First Steps
Utilities don’t need to overhaul their entire compliance program to begin addressing IBR-related risks. But awareness is no longer optional. Grid operators and compliance teams should start by reviewing where IBRs intersect with their infrastructure—both physically and contractually.
Ask yourself:
- Do you know which inverters are operating on your system?
- Are they communicating using secure protocols?
- Are vendors held to the same security and access standards as internal teams?
If any of those answers are unclear, it’s time to take a deeper look.
At Archer, we help organizations get ahead of these questions—not just to satisfy compliance, but to make informed security and operational decisions in a rapidly changing grid. IBRs represent the future of energy, but like any technology, their benefits come with tradeoffs.
We’re here to help you understand those tradeoffs—and secure the path forward. Need guidance on IBRs and compliance readiness? Connect with our team here.