Summary
Details
- The United States of America (USA)
- Canada
- Mexico
The GADS reporting framework defines which generating assets must submit data based on NERC registration and capacity thresholds.
- NERC entities: Reporting is mandatory for all registered entities
Conventional units: Required for plants ≥20 MW
Wind plants: Required if ≥75 MW and operational from 2005 onward
Solar plants: Required if ≥20 MW, regardless of interconnection
Category 2 GOs: From May 2026
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Overview
GADS was launched in 1982 by the electric utility industry to standardise the collection of generating unit performance data, building on earlier efforts from the 1960s. It provides a comprehensive database covering thousands of generating units and a significant share of installed capacity in North America. The system captures design, performance, and event data to support reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) analysis. Over time, its scope has expanded beyond thermal generation to include wind and solar assets, reflecting the growing role of renewable energy in power systems.
What GADS Requires
Power plant operators are required to submit data every quarter, typically within a set period after the end of each quarter. NERC defines structured reporting rules to ensure consistency and comparability across different types of generation.
Performance reporting: Operators must submit data on generation output, service hours, and operating conditions.
Event and outage tracking: Detailed records of outages, including timing, causes, and severity, are required.
Design data submission: Facilities must provide technical information about equipment and plant configuration.
Standardised definitions and metrics: Reporting follows consistent terminology (e.g. forced outage rates) to enable benchmarking.
Coverage of renewable assets: Wind and solar plants meeting capacity thresholds must report, with technology-specific metrics reflecting variable generation characteristics.
Status and Outlook
GADS continues to evolve as renewable energy becomes a larger share of the electricity mix. Recent years have seen the progressive inclusion of renewable assets. Wind reporting became mandatory in 2016, followed by solar reporting requirements introduced from 2024 onward and expanded further in 2025 by lowering the reporting threshold to 20 MW, bringing a much larger number of solar facilities into the system. Overall, these developments reflect a shift from basic availability tracking to more granular, condition-based monitoring of variable generation, enabling improved reliability analysis as wind and solar play a growing role in power systems.
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