North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)
Balancing and Interchange Certification (BI)
Credential: Balancing and Interchange Certification (BI)
Credentialing Agency: North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)
Renewal Period: 3 years
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), Balancing and Interchange Operator Certification (BI) is an intermediate-level credential for professionals who operate bulk electric systems. BIs are knowledgeable in resource and demand balancing, transmission, emergency preparedness, contingency analysis and reliability, and managing communications and data. There are no eligibility requirements for the BI certification exam. Candidates must pass a written exam.
More information can be found on the certifying agency's website.
Balancing and Interchange Certification (BI)
Attainability: 
Eligibility Requirements (View Details)
- Credential Prerequisite
- Experience
- Education
- Training
- Membership
- Other
- Fee
Note: This credential may have multiple options for a Service member to meet eligibility requirements. Requirements listed here are based on the minimum degree required.
To view other options, see the Eligibility tab.
Exam Requirements (View Details)
- Exam
- Written Exam
- Oral Exam
- Practical Exam
- Performance Assessment
Exam Administration (View Details)
- In-person exam
- Remote proctored on-line exam
- Third-party test vendor
Renewal Period: 3 years
- Continuing Education
- Exam
- Continuing Education OR Exam
- Fee
- Other
North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)
3353 Peachtree Road, N.E., Suite 600 North Tower
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: 404-446-2560
Fax: 404-446-2595
Contact Page
NREC does not require any specific education or experience, however it is recommended that each candidate for the BI be knowledgeable in the areas addressed in the certification exam.
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Resource and Demand Balancing (35%)
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Interchange Scheduling and Coordination (5%)
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Reserves (Spinning and Non-Spinning) (5%)
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Automatic Generation Control (AGC) (5%)
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Area Control Error (ACE) (5%)
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Frequency (5%)
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Load Forecasting (5%)
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Generation Equipment (5%)
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Transmission (15%)
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Protection and Control (3%)
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Voltage and Reactive (3%)
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Electrical Current (2%)
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Reconfiguration and Switching (1%)
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Operating Limits (4%)
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Transmission Equipment (2%)
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Emergency Preparedness (11%)
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Current and Next-Day Planning (4%)
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Severe Weather, Natural Disasters, and Geomagnetic Disturbances (4%)
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Anticipated Capacity Deficiency (3%)
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Emergency Response (15%)
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System Restoration (3%)
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Response to System Disturbances (3%)
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Response to Capacity Emergencies (4%)
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Response to Loss of Control Center (2%)
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Response to Loss of Analysis and Monitoring Tools (3%)
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Contingency Analysis and Reliability (11%)
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Contingency Analysis (2%)
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Network Analysis Tools (e.g., State Estimators) (2%)
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Response to Results of Contingency Analysis (2%)
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System Operating Limits (SOL) (3%)
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Interconnection Reliability Operating Limits (IROL) (2%)
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Communications and Data (13%)
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Reporting Requirements (3%)
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Communication Methods (e.g., Three-Part Communication, RCIS) (4%)
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Data Validity and Verification (4%)
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Telemetry and Communications Equipment (2%)
There are a number of resources available to help you prepare for the Balancing and Interchange Certification (BI) examination:
An additional resource is O'Reilly Learning Safari Books Online, a searchable digital library that provides online access to thousands of books, training videos and conference sessions. See the Educational Resources section on the
Related Sites page here on COOL to learn how to get free access.
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Exam Administration
Credential exams may be administered in-person at a testing site, proctored on-line remotely, or have options for both. If an exam is administered through a test vendor, the third-party test vendor box will be checked. The following test administration options apply to the Balancing and Interchange Certification (BI) credential where checked:
- In-person exam
- Remote proctored on-line exam
- Third-party test vendor
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Third-Party Test Vendor Information
Testing for this credential is handled by the following vendor:
PSI
The test centers are located in the U.S.
To find out more, use the following links on the PSI website:
Balancing and Interchange Certification (BI)
Renewal Period: 3 years
The Balancing and Interchange Certification (BI) credential has the following recertification information:
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The Balancing and Interchange Certification (BI) is renewed every three years. BI certification holders must earn a total of 140 Continuing Education Hours (CEHs) during each recertification cycle. A recertification fee is required.
Additional information can be found in the System Operator Certification Program Manual on the NERC website.
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Note: Marine Corps COOL will only pay recertification fees for the current year, no arrears will be paid.
Voucher requests for recertification fees must be submitted with proof of the current status of the certification (for example, a screen shot of your
credentialing agency dashboard or a copy of a current fee receipt).
MOS is Military Occupational Specialty
ASI is Additional Skill Identifier
WOMOS is Warrant Officer Military Occupational Specialty
AOC is Area Of Concentration Officer
Functional Area
Branch
Bright Outlook – new job opportunities are very likely in the future for this job
This is an official U.S. Marine Corps website
Updated: January 29, 2021
Marine Occupations Table Legend
Related As
The military occupations shown in this table are related to this credential in one of three ways: Most, Some, or Other.
MOST
This credential is directly related to most of the major duties associated with the military occupation (at least 80%). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
SOME
This credential is related to some tasks associated with the duties of the military occupation (related 80% to at least one or more critical tasks but less than 80% of all of the entire military occupation). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
OTHER
This credential is related to this military occupation, but is more advanced or specialized and therefore will most likely require additional education, training, or experience.
COOL$
Contact usmccool@navy.mil or call 850-452-6337/6583 for a Marine Corps COOL Program Analyst.
Federal Occupations Table Legend
Related As
The federal occupations shown in this table are related to this credential in one of three ways: Most, Some, or Other.
MOST
This credential is directly related to most of the major duties associated with the federal occupation (at least 80%). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
SOME
This credential is related to some tasks associated with the duties of the federal occupation (related 80% to at least one or more critical tasks but less than 80% of all of the entire military occupation). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
OTHER
This credential is related to this federal occupation, but is more advanced or specialized and therefore will most likely require additional education, training, or experience.
Civilian Occupations Table Legend
Bright Outlook
The Bright Outlook icon indicates that new job opportunities are very likely in the future for this job. Click the links in this column to go to the external link My Next Move For Veterans State Map.
Registered Apprenticeship
The Registered Apprenticeship icon indicates that this job has an apprenticeship program registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. Click the links in this column to go to the Apprenticeship Finder and enter career path or location to find apprenticeship opportunities
Local Salary Information
Click the links in this column to go to the external link My Next Move for Veterans web site to view salary and employment information for the job.
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