Each Balancing Authority shall at least _____ check and calibrate its time error and frequency devices against a common reference.

Each Balancing Authority shall at least _____ check and calibrate its time error and frequency devices against a common reference.

• A. annually
• B. monthly
• C. weekly
• D. daily

Answer: (A)

Regular and accurate timekeeping is essential for reliable operation, post-event analysis, and consistent data across the Balancing Authority. Time error and frequency devices must be checked and calibrated against a common reference at least once per year. This annual cadence balances the typical drift behavior of timing equipment with the need for a practical, auditable process. Aligning all timing devices to a single reference—such as GPS time—ensures that events, measurements, and protections are time-stamped to the same basis, which is critical for correlating data across systems and for root-cause analysis after events. While checks more often than annually can be performed, the standard establishes annual as the minimum requirement, providing a consistent baseline without imposing unnecessary maintenance burden.

Regular and accurate timekeeping is essential for reliable operation, post-event analysis, and consistent data across the Balancing Authority. Time error and frequency devices must be checked and calibrated against a common reference at least once per year. This annual cadence balances the typical drift behavior of timing equipment with the need for a practical, auditable process. Aligning all timing devices to a single reference—such as GPS time—ensures that events, measurements, and protections are time-stamped to the same basis, which is critical for correlating data across systems and for root-cause analysis after events. While checks more often than annually can be performed, the standard establishes annual as the minimum requirement, providing a consistent baseline without imposing unnecessary maintenance burden.