By Eddie Aveitia, NERC CIP Reliability Specialist As the renewable energy sector continues to expand rapidly in 2024, it faces an increasingly complex and dangerous cybersecurity landscape. Wind farms, solar power plants, and other green energy infrastructure have become prime targets for malicious actors seeking to disrupt operations, steal sensitive

By Shaun Rohret, Senior Reliability Specialist, NERC Services The following standards are currently subject to recent and future enforcement on NERC’s site: EOP 11-4 Emergency Operations and EOP 12-2 Extreme Cold Weather Preparedness Applicable Entities · Balancing Authority   · Generator Operator   · Generator Owner   · Reliability Coordinator   ·Transmission Operator   · Transmission Owner  · Distribution Provider Effective on October 1, 2024, the purpose of

By Stefano Schnitger, NERC Reliability Specialist Phase 2 of NERC’s inverter-based resource (IBR) registration initiative is in full swing. This phase will focus on the complete identification of Category 2 Generator Owner and Generator Operator candidates. The ERO Enterprise (NERC and the six Regional Entities) has already begun identifying potential registration

By Richard Schlottmann, Project Manager, NERC Services We have learned some things about EOP-012-2 the closer we get to the implementation date. First, there are currently three SARS out concerning various aspects of the standard. Also, the concerns of ECWT and the 32 degrees F and what constitutes a cold

By John Schmoker, Compliance Testing Services Project Manager As many of you know, NAES NERC Services has been actively engaged in the Reliability Industry since NERC’s inception. Our growing team of nearly 30 reliability professionals keeps vigilant watch over industry trends and best practices to ensure we provide the best

By Carl Curry, NERC Reliability Specialist  NERC released the 2024 State of Reliability (SOR) report and SOR Overview in June, 2024, which provides an assessment of the Bulk Power System (BPS) based on performance of the grid for the entire year of 2023. Data for the report was taken from

By Leonard Wills, NERC CIP Reliability Specialist In today’s digital age, the internet remains an indispensable resource, providing users with numerous sources of information, goods, job opportunities, and other services. As of April 2024, 5.35 billion people use the internet, which equals sixty-six percent (66%) of the world’s total population.

By Laura Christensen, Senior NERC Reliability Specialist  NERC, in accordance with its regulatory obligations under the Federal Power Act, has initiated a draft data request concerning the operation of generators during cold weather. The draft is in response to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) directive to develop a plan

By Shaun Rohret, Senior NERC Reliability Specialist  There is still a lot of activity at FERC and NERC based around Extreme Cold Weather Grid Operations, Preparedness and Coordination.   On June 27, 2024, FERC released an order approving EOP-012-2 and directing NERC to make modifications within 9 months. Here is the

By Sean Thompson, NERC Supervisor The digital age has intensified the need for robust cybersecurity measures across all sectors, particularly within the Bulk Electric System (BES). The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has responded to this growing challenge with CIP-003-9, set to take effect on April 1, 2026. This