By Dale Tarr, NERC Reliability Specialist The ongoing effort to register Inverter Based Resources (IBRs) continues as regions transition from identification to outreach amid IBR Registration Milestone Phase 2. The July 2024 request for information (RFI) sent to Balancing Authorities and Transmission Owners, used to identify registration candidates, netted 365…

by William White, Senior NERC Reliability Specialist In today’s rapidly evolving energy sector, the importance of complying with regulatory standards cannot be overstated. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) plays a critical role in ensuring the reliability and security of the North American electrical grid. To maintain operational efficiency,…

By Troy Dahlgren, NERC Reliability Specialist FERC Order 901, issued on October 19, 2023, mandates the development of new and revised reliability standards to address the challenges posed by the increasing integration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) into the electric grid. This order represents a transformative regulatory initiative aimed at ensuring…

By Leonard Wills, NERC Reliability Specialist As malicious actors continue honing their attack methods, cyber hygiene holds paramount importance for individuals and entities seeking stronger security postures and lower risks. Cyber hygiene involves routine practices that protect digital assets—such as training, asset inventory, password security, vulnerability checks, and security audits—thereby…

Team, We are excited to announce that Bates Szakos is rejoining NAES Power Contractors as the Director of Strategic Growth and Operations, effective immediately. After three years away, Bates’s return underscores our dedication to strategic growth at NPC. Bates first joined NPC over twelve years ago as an Estimator & Project Manager. His…

By Leland McMillan, Supervisor NERC Services and Carl Curry, NERC Reliability Specialist NERC Standards are aimed to increase electric reliability, but the one major component that is outside NERC’s jurisdiction is natural gas supply. NERC issued a statement in September 2024 indicating that fuel supply was a contributing factor for past winter events.…

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…