Wreck Cove is the largest hydroelectric system in Nova Scotia with a generating capacity of 215.8 MW. Constructed from 1975 to 1978, south of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Wreck Cove collects drainage water from of the Cape Breton Highlands plateau to generate renewable electricity. It consists of two generating stations: the Gisborne Generating Station, with an installed capacity of 3.5 MW, and the Wreck Cove Generating Station, with an installed capacity of 212 MW, producing on average 318 million kWh annually—enough energy to power about 30,000 homes. There are 33 hydro stations across Nova Scotia, with a total capacity of 400 MW. Wreck Cove makes up half of that hydro capacity, making it a key provider of reliable, renewable energy needed to complement and back up the 600 MW of clean—but unpredictable—wind power on the province's electrical system. The Wreck Cove hydroelectric facility is the only one in the province that can go from zero to full output in under 10 minutes. Purpose Wreck Cove primary purpose is to generate electricity, to supply Nova Scotia Powers' electrical grid, but the unique nature of the installation also allows Wreck Cove to play a critical role in NS Power's ability to meet the reliability standards defined by North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC) and also provides other Grid Reliability Services: NERC/NPCC requirements Black Start Requirements Under NERC, Nova Scotia Power must maintain multiple black start pathways to restart the grid should a black-out ever occur. Wreck Cove is one of the two pathways Nova Scotia Power uses to meet this NERC requirement. Planning Reserve Margin Nova Scotia Power must maintain sufficient capacity to serve its peak load as well as additional capacity for the planning reserve margin (PRM). The PRM acts as a resource to respond to a contingency to ensure customer load can be served in the event unexpected generation restrictions or supply requirements arise. For example, the PRM capacity ensures adequate generation in the event that one or more generation resources are unavailable or cannot run at full capacity at the time of system peak. Planning reserves also account for uncertainties in demand forecasting and resource availability. The Wreck Cove system contributes approximately 8 percent towards NS Power's total required capacity in 2020, assuming a PRM of 20 percent. Operating Reserve Capacity Requirements (10 min reserve) NERC/NPCC requires electric utilities to have