Standards/Programs

RSS

Electric distribution systems that carry energy to end consumers are highly vulnerable targets for cyberattacks, but these risks are "not fully" addressed by the Department of Energy’s cybersecurity strategy, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO’s "Electric Grid Cybersecurity" report draws on interviews with officials...

FERC on Thursday approved revisions to three of NERC’s critical infrastructure protection (CIP) reliability standards, submitted last year under Project 2019-03 (Cybersecurity supply chain risks). The commission’s order approved the following standards: CIP-005-7: Cybersecurity — Electronic security perimeter(s) CIP-010-4: Cybersecurity — Configuration change management and vulnerability assessments CIP-013-2: Cybersecurity —...

NERC is considering accelerating the schedule for its cold weather standard project (Project 2019-06) after last month’s winter storm that led to prolonged mass outages in Texas lent a fresh urgency to the effort, project leaders told the standard drafting team (SDT) in a conference call Monday. NERC Senior Standards...

FERC has accepted a settlement between WECC and NorthWestern Energy for violations of NERC reliability standards, under which the utility will pay $205,000 to the regional entity in addition to performing other mitigation activities. NERC submitted the settlement to FERC in a notice of penalty in January, which the commission...

The team modifying NERC’s standards for cold weather preparedness confirmed in a webinar Thursday that the joint inquiry by the ERO and FERC into the recent power outages in Texas and neighboring states will not affect its schedule for completing Project 2019-06, which remains on track to be finished "by...

In an executive order issued Wednesday, President Joe Biden ordered a review of a number of critical sectors — including energy — in order to "strengthen the resilience of America’s supply chains" ahead of future national emergencies. The most immediate consequence of the order is a 100-day review of vulnerabilities...

Public utility commissions’ executive leadership must be willing to take a "champion" role in building their organizations’ cybersecurity expertise, according to a guideline released this week by the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners. NARUC created the guide to recognize the growing importance of electronic communication tools to utilities in their...

NERC CEO Jim Robb | © ERO Insider In its annual report released Monday, NERC applauded the ERO Enterprise for advancing the reliability and security of the power grid during a year that was "extraordinary on so many dimensions." Achievements highlighted in the report include the organization’s response to the...

Thursday’s meeting of NERC’s Member Representatives Committee (MRC) saw the unanimous re-election of Trustees Robin Manning and George Hawkins, as well as the approval of two new board members: former American Public Power Association CEO Sue Kelly, and Larry Irving, president and CEO of consulting firm The Irving Group. The...

The rejection by NERC’s Standards Committee of the standard authorization request (SAR) for Project 2020-01 (Modifications to MOD-032-1) in December has left the group that submitted the request in a quandary regarding the next step for the project. Members of NERC’s System Planning Impacts for Distributed Energy Resources (SPIDER) Working...