As the electric grid undergoes a rapid transition toward inverter-based resources (IBRs), maintaining system reliability and stability has become one of the most pressing challenges facing grid operators. The Texas Interconnection — an islanded grid with one of the highest penetrations of IBRs (including wind, solar, and energy storage) in North America — sits at the forefront of this challenge. In response to growing stability concerns driven by the retirement or reduced availability of conventional synchronous generators and the continued buildout of IBRs, Texas has developed and codified new technical requirements through NOGRR272, a landmark nodal operating guide revision that establishes Advanced Grid Support (AGS), also known as Grid-Forming, requirements for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as a tool for preserving grid reliability and stability.

This presentation examines Texas’ experience with AGS, tracing the path from early stability concerns to the formulation of formal AGS requirements under NOGRR272.

A central theme of the presentation is the unique set of grid conditions that distinguish Texas from other interconnections and make AGS technology particularly relevant to its operational context. Texas’ electrical isolation, its limited ability to import or export power through DC-ties during disturbances, and the decline in system-wide inertia and online synchronous generators during low-load, high-renewable periods create a grid environment where frequency and voltage excursions can propagate quickly and grid strength can become low. The presentation will discuss how these conditions informed reliability studies, the specific stability phenomena that motivated regulatory action, and how the technical requirements in NOGRR272 were shaped by observed system behavior and simulation-based analysis.

The presentation will also share lessons learned from early AGS requirement adoption. Topics will include the importance of model validation and the coordination required between developers, equipment manufacturers, and the grid operator during the interconnection and testing process.

Finally, the presentation will offer forward-looking recommendations for developers, manufacturers, and policymakers navigating AGS requirements in Texas and beyond. As other regions begin to grapple with similar reliability challenges and consider analogous regulatory frameworks, Texas’ experience provides a valuable reference point. The author will discuss how the lessons learned in Texas can inform best practices for AGS specification, testing, and deployment across the broader industry, and will highlight areas where continued research, standardization, and collaboration are needed to fully realize the reliability benefits that grid forming technology promises.