The considerable and controllable capacity of modern power distribution system is greatly improved, and a large number of distributed resources such as flexible load, energy storage device and renewable energy power generation have flexible control capacity. This paper for the distribution of various distributed resources of electric system operation reliability research review, by reviewing the distribution system operation reliability evaluation and improve the research progress, summarized and refining the development trend of the distribution system operation reliability research, and from the perspective of operation risk to the modern distribution system operation reliability research connotation is combed, divided into two parts: risk perception and risk suppression, for the future operation reliability theory perfect provides a reference.