ReliabilityFirst

Human Performance Workshop
2023-08-03 08:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual (Webex)
Please mark your calendars for the upcoming ReliabilityFirst Protection System and Human Performance Workshops. For 2023 we have opted to have both of our workshops entirely virtual this year. The agenda and additional information are currently being developed and will be available soon.
Intended Audience
The ideas, suggestions and stories shared during this highly interactive, free event are especially relevant for:

Substation and Transmission Maintenance personnel
Protection and Controls experts
Operations Control Rooms, including tools support personnel for EMS, SCADA, etc.
Asset Design Groups (substation and transmission)
Human Resource Professionals
Asset Management Groups
Internal Control Champions and Specialists
Company Trainers
Leadership and others interested in these topics

Registration is now open. There is no fee and this event is open to anyone who would like to attend. If you have any questions, please contact John Idzior or Thomas Teafatiller.​
Reference Materials:
2023-08-03 Human Performance Workshop Agenda

Technical Talk with RF
2023-08-14 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual (Webex)
Agenda Topics​​:
The 2003 Northeast Blackout: What the Bulk Electric System was like before this event, what’s changed since and the path forward.
Joseph McClelland, Director of the Office of Energy Infrastructure Security, FERC
David Nevius, former Senior Vice President (retired), NERC

Joe McClelland and Dave Nevius will each share their industry perspective at the time of the 2003 Northeast Blackout. They will reflect on how things have changed since then both at the FERC and NERC/ERO level and look ahead to the challenges of the future.

Inside the control room at NY ISO during the 2003 Northeast Blackout
Steve Swan, Principal Technical Auditor, Operations & Planning, RF

RF’s Steve Swan remembers Aug. 14, 2003, well. In fact, he was working as an operator inside the NY ISO control room at the time the blackout occurred. He will share his perspective from the historic day and his takeaways from the experience, 20 years later.

Who should attend:
These presentations are especially relevant to all NERC registrations, plus anyone interested in regulatory affairs and continuous improvement following the implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Feel free to forward the webinar link to anyone interested in learning more about how FERC, NERC, and the ERO Enterprise has been working together the last 20 years and continues to assess the risks of the future. Lessons learned can be applied to additional critical infrastructures as well (water, natural gas, communications, etc.)
Reference Materials:
2023-08-14 Tech Talk

Q3 Compensation Committee Meeting
2023-08-23 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | ReliabilityFirst, 3 Summit Park Dr #600, Independence, OH, 44131, United States
Reference Materials:
2023-08-23-24 Schedule of Events
2023-08-23 Compensation Committee Agenda
2023 3rd Qtr Board Announcement

Q3 Compliance Committee Meeting
2023-08-23 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | ReliabilityFirst, 3 Summit Park Dr #600, Independence, OH, 44131, United States
Reference Materials:
2023-08-23-24 Schedule of Events
2023-08-23 Compliance Committee Agenda
2023 3rd Qtr Board Announcement

Q3 Finance and Audit Committee Meeting
2023-08-23 15:10 - 17:10 (America/New_York) | ReliabilityFirst, 3 Summit Park Dr #600, Independence, OH, 44131, United States
Reference Materials:
2023-08-23-24 Schedule of Events
2023-08-23 Finance and Audit Committee Agenda
2023 3rd Qtr Board Announcement

Q3 Nominating and Governance Committee Meeting
2023-08-23 15:10 - 17:10 (America/New_York) | ReliabilityFirst, 3 Summit Park Dr #600, Independence, OH, 44131, United States
Reference Materials:
2023-08-23-24 Schedule of Events
2023-08-23 Nominating and Governance Committee Agenda
2023 3rd Qtr Board Announcement

Q3 Board of Directors Meeting
2023-08-24 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | ReliabilityFirst, 3 Summit Park Dr #600, Independence, OH, 44131, United States
Reference Materials:
2023-08-23-24 Schedule of Events
2023-08-24 Board of Directors Agenda
2023 3rd Qtr Board Announcement

Technical Talk with RF
2023-09-18 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual (Webex)
Intended Audience:

State lawmakers, commissioners, and staff
Policy makers engaged in state energy regulation
National associations of regulatory commissioners
Utility regulatory and government affairs personnel
Transmission planners plus anyone interested in the reliability and socio-economic impacts of the changing and diverse generation mix

Agenda Topics:
We will be discussing the aspects of the Energy Trilemma, the challenges associated with the energy transition in balancing cost, environment, and reliability.
Delaware State Senator Stephanie Hansen, 10th District

Senator Hansen will highlight the success of the Delaware Energy Stakeholders’ Group that she formed to develop and discuss energy legislation in Delaware. The group is comprised of about two dozen members from a wide range of stakeholders and interest groups to provide different viewpoints on the important topics at hand. ReliabilityFirst has recently joined the group, presented at the meetings, and participated in the discussions. The group consists of representatives from all of Delaware’s utilities, the Public Service Commission, Public Advocate, environmental and conservative organizations, the Department of Natural Resources, the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility, PJM, members of the legislature, and others.

​Dr. Lars Schernikau, Energy Economist, Entrepreneur, Commodity Trader, Author, Investor & Strategic Advisor

​Dr. Schernikau will be discussing the energy economics, return on investment, and raw material inputs in relation to the energy transition. He will share his insight on emerging technologies and how they support our clean energy future.

Abe Silverman, Director, Non-Technical Barriers to the Clean Energy Transition – Columbia University CGEP

Abe Silverman will share his experience and expertise with interconnection, transmission planning and transmission cost allocation. He will offer a deep dive into how states are thinking about contracted capacity versus realized capacity and what success looks like in our clean energy future while maintaining reliability.​

Reference Materials:
2023-09-18 Tech Talk SO Edition

Fall Workshop
2023-09-26 12:00 - 2023-09-27 12:00 (America/Halifax) | Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Pl, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, United States
To build the grid of the future, we can’t do it alone. Collaboration and partnerships are more important than ever for the electric industry amid the challenges of a changing generation mix and the great energy transition. At the 2023 Fall Reliability Workshop, we’ll dive into these interdependencies, with speakers from state government, natural gas, cybersecurity and water industries. Plus, we’ll have important updates from FERC, NERC, RF CMEP staff and more. We hope to see you there!
Breakfast and lunch will be available each day of the workshop.
Reference Materials:
2023 Fall Workshop Agenda
2023 Fall Workshop Booklet
Sept 26 2023 Day 1 Presentations
Sept 27 2023 Day 2 Presentations

Technical Talk with RF
2023-10-23 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual (Webex)
Agenda Topics:
Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Cybersecurity Training for the Utility Workforce
Cynthia Hsu – Cybersecurity Program Manager, Rural and Municipal Utilities, Department of Energy Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER)

Cynthia will provide an update on upcoming cybersecurity training events hosted by CESER and INL. Each training event will cover the same material but will be offered in different locations – one event will be located in each of the six NERC regions. Participants do not need to be from a NERC registered entity. The training is designed for technical practitioners in electric utilities that require a hybrid of skills across information technology (IT), industrial control systems (ICS), operation technology (OT), cybersecurity, and electric grid operations.

BES Cyber Security (BCS) in the Cloud
Tom Alrich – Independent Consultant, Blogger and Leader of Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) Forum project.

Tom will share his thoughts regarding cyber-security and CIP compliance in cloud environments. He will be discussing opportunities, risks and mitigations as industry explores the possibility of implementing BES Cyber Systems (BCS) into the cloud including implications on CIP-002 and additional NERC Standards.

BES Cyber System Information Access Management
Shon Austin –Principal Technical Auditor, ReliabilityFirst

Shon will discuss Project 2019-02 BES Cyber System Information Access Management. This initiative enhances BES reliability by creating increased choice, greater flexibility, higher availability, and reduced‐cost options for entities to manage their BES Cyber System Information, by providing a secure path towards utilization of modern third‐party data storage and analysis systems. In addition, the proposed project would clarify the protections expected when utilizing third‐party solutions (e.g., cloud services).

​Who should attend:
These presentations are especially relevant to compliance personnel and CIP Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) across all NERC registrations, especially those interested in cloud computing and virtualization. We encourage you to forward the webinar link and invitation to anyone interested in learning more about cyber security emerging technologies, risks, and revisions to upcoming standards.
Reference Materials:
2023-10-23 Cybersecurity Tech Talk

Technical Talk with RF
2023-11-13 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual (Webex)
Intended Audience:

State lawmakers, commissioners, and staff
Policy makers engaged in state energy regulation
National associations of regulatory commissioners
Utility regulatory and government affairs personnel
Transmission planners plus anyone interested in transmission transfer studies and/or advanced technologies that may enhance reliability on the grid of the future

Agenda Topics:​
We will be discussing NERC’s Interregional Transfer Capability Study, the aspects of the clean energy transition and emerging technologies.
John Moura, Director, Reliability Assessment and Performance Analysis – North American Electric Corporation (NERC)

John Moura will provide an overview, discuss the scope, and proposed timeline for completion of NERC’s Interregional Transfer Capability Study (ITCS). As directed by Congressional action, NERC is working on this study, in conjunction with the Regional Entities and industry stakeholders. The study focuses on the reliable transfer of electric power between neighboring transmission planning areas. The results of and details of the study will be filed with FERC on or before Dec. 2, 2024.

Shane Watts, Sr. Lead Trainer – PJM Interconnection

​Shane Watts will be discussing various emerging technology and tools being developed and used to maintain reliable operation of the electric system. In addition, he will highlight Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and goals within the PJM footprint.​

Reference Materials
23-11-13 Tech Talk

Q4 Compensation Committee Meeting
2023-12-06 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Market Square Conference Center, 801 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20004
Reference Materials:

2023 4th Qtr Board Announcement
2023-12-06 Compensation Committee Agenda
2023-12-6-7 Schedule of Events

Q4 Compliance Committee Meeting
2023-12-06 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Market Square Conference Center, 801 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20004
Reference Materials:

2023 4th Qtr Board Announcement
2023-12-06 Compliance Committee Agenda
2023-12-6-7 Schedule of Events

Q4 Nominating and Governance Committee Meeting
2023-12-06 15:10 - 17:10 (America/New_York) | Market Square Conference Center, 801 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20004
Reference Materials:

2023 4th Qtr Board Announcement
2023-12-06 Nominating and Governance Committee Agenda
2023-12-6-7 Schedule of Events

Q4 Finance and Audit Committee Meeting
2023-12-06 15:10 - 17:20 (America/New_York) | Market Square Conference Center, 801 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20004
Reference Materials:

2023 4th Qtr Board Announcement
2023-12-06 Finance and Audit Committee Agenda
2023-12-6-7 Schedule of Events

Annual Meeting of Members
2023-12-07 09:30 - 10:45 (America/New_York) | Market Square Conference Center, 801 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20004
Reference Materials:

2023 4th Qtr Board Announcement
2023 Annual Meeting of Members Agenda
2023-12-6-7 Schedule of Events

Q4 Board of Directors Meeting
2023-12-07 11:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Market Square Conference Center, 801 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20004
Reference Materials:

2023 4th Qtr Board Announcement
2023-12-07 Board of Directors Agenda
2023-12-6-7 Schedule of Events

Technical Talk with RF
2023-12-18 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual (Webex)
ReliabilityFirst (RF) offers a regularly scheduled monthly call to provide entities and stakeholders with a forum for addressing topics and questions relevant to reliability, resilience and security.
While RF Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will provide presentations and updates, they will not address entity-specific questions and issues. These types of questions can be handled offline by using the RF Assist Visit program. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mike Hughes, Entity Engagement Manager, 216-503-0617.
Event information:
Monday, December 18, 2023 2:00 PM | (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Join link: https://reliabilityfirst.webex.com/reliabilityfirst/j.php?MTID=m4c7838a4633307e6a77220efb6086dcd
Webinar number: 2306 850 0269
Webinar password: [REDACTED] (0123456 from phones and video systems)
Join by phone:1-650-479-3207 Call-in toll number (US/Canada)
Access code: 230 685 00269
Join us on Slido.com using #TechTalkRF as the event code.
Agenda topics:
EOP-011 and future EOP-012 on-site walkdowns
Beth Rettig, Senior Technical Auditor, ReliabilityFirst
James Baird, Interim Plant Manager, Springdale Energy
Colleen Campbell, Director of Generation NERC Compliance, LS Power

Beth Rettig will introduce ReliabilityFirst’s perspective on EOP-011 and EOP-012 walkdowns
James Baird will provide a high-level overview of Springdale Energy’s EOP-011 winterization plan and EOP-012 preparation steps
Colleen Campbell will review LS Power’s EOP-011 walkdown experience and discuss lessons learned, and offer a look-ahead at her organization’s EOP-012 preparations

ERO Enterprise 2024 CMEP Implementation Plan
Rashida Caraway, Manager, Risk Assessment, Texas RE

The 2024 CMEP Implementation Plan describes the risks that will be priorities for the ERO Enterprise’s CMEP activities in 2024. Rashida Caraway will review these risk priorities and how they factor into the overall reliability of the bulk power system.

Reference materials:
Tech Talk with RF Dec. 2023

Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee (CIPC) Q1 Meeting
2024-01-16 13:00 - 2024-01-17 12:00 (America/New_York) | ReliabilityFirst, 3 Summit Park Dr #600, Independence, OH, 44131, United States
The ReliabilityFirst Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee (RF CIPC) will be holding its first quarterly meeting of 2024 at the RF offices on Jan. 16 – 17. The purpose of the RF CIPC is to promote the physical and cyber security of critical electricity infrastructure in accordance with the NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Standards within the RF footprint.
The RF CIPC provides an industry-led forum for discussion and input among RF CIPC representatives responsible for physical and cyber security, including supply chain management. Any registered entity in the RF footprint can designate employees as CIPC representatives.
To prepare for this meeting, please ensure your list of RF CIPC Representatives is up to date. To obtain the list of your representatives or to make changes please email Lew Folkerth at lew.folkerth@rfirst.org or Nicholas Morton at namorton@aep.com.
To RSVP, click here.

Technical Talk with RF
2024-01-22 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual (Webex)
ReliabilityFirst (RF) offers a regularly scheduled monthly call to provide entities and stakeholders with a forum for addressing topics and questions relevant to reliability, resilience and security.
While RF Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will provide presentations and updates, they will not address entity-specific questions and issues. These types of questions can be handled offline by using the RF Assist Visit program. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mike Hughes, Entity Engagement Manager, 216-503-0617.

Event Information
Monday, Jan. 22, 2024 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EST (US & Canada)
https://reliabilityfirst.webex.com/reliabilityfirst/j.php?MTID=m1b7276897dabbd17039b6b2613c4b138
Meeting Number: 2309 155 0051
Meeting Password: [REDACTED] (0123456 from phones and video systems)
Join by phone:1-650-479-3207 Call-in toll number (US/Canada)
Access code: 230 915 50051
Please join us on Slido.com using #TechTalkRF as the event code.

Agenda Topics
2023 Enforcement actions: Year in review
Kristen Senk, Director of Enforcement, ReliabilityFirst

Kristen Senk will provide an overview of RF’s enforcement actions from 2023, including noteworthy trends and highlights.

NERC and RF Long-Term Reliability Assessments
Tim Fryfogle, Principal Engineer, Engineering and System Performance, ReliabilityFirst

Tim Fryfogle, will discuss both NERC and RF’s latest Long Term Reliability Assessments. NERC’s report projects sharp increases in peak demand and, with the potential for higher generator retirements, highlights increased concerns for electric reliability over the next 10 years.

Reference Materials
Tech Talk with RF Jan. 2024

Technical Talk with RF
2024-02-12 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual (Webex)
ReliabilityFirst (RF) offers a regularly scheduled monthly call to provide entities and stakeholders with a forum for addressing topics and questions relevant to reliability, resilience and security.
While RF Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will provide presentations and updates, they will not address entity-specific questions and issues. These types of questions can be handled offline by using the RF Assist Visit program. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mike Hughes, Entity Engagement Manager, 216-503-0617.
Event Information
February 2024 Technical Talk with RF: State Policy Edition
Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 2:00 PM | (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Join link: https://reliabilityfirst.webex.com/reliabilityfirst/j.php?MTID=m540647ba7ba6208cf8653eea088c565d
Webinar number: 2302 215 1701
Webinar password: [REDACTED] (0123456 from phones and video systems)
Join by phone:1-650-479-3207 Call-in toll number (US/Canada)
Access code: 230 221 51701
Please join us on Slido.com using #TechTalkRF as the event code.
Agenda Topics
Disruptive Energy Futures
Amory Lovins, Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus, RMI

Amory will share his thoughts on the great energy transition, socio-economic impacts, and how new technologies and fuel sources may be a part of the grid of the future, plus the role of distributed energy resources.

Update on FERC Activities
Eric Vandenberg, Deputy Director, Office of Electric Reliability, FERC

Eric will discuss key priorities for FERC’s Office of Electric Reliability, including work relating to resource/energy adequacy, priority system attributes and inverter-based resources.

Reference Materials
Tech Talk with RF Feb. 2024

Compliance User Group (CUG) Winter Workshop
2024-02-23 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Topics:

Recent Audit Experiences
Industry Discussion

To register, please contact Leslie Hamby at Leslie.Hamby@centerpointenergy.com.

Technical Talk with RF
2024-03-11 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual (Webex)
ReliabilityFirst (RF) offers a regularly scheduled monthly call to provide entities and stakeholders with a forum for addressing topics and questions relevant to reliability, resilience and security.
While RF Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will provide presentations and updates, they will not address entity-specific questions and issues. These types of questions can be handled offline by using the RF Assist Visit program. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Entity Engagement department via our Contact Us page.

Event Information
Join link: https://reliabilityfirst.webex.com/reliabilityfirst/j.php?MTID=m97343b64c896a3c8258b9a0d3480f5e3
Meeting Number number:2303 360 0263 | Meeting password: [REDACTED] (0123456 from phones and video systems)
Join by phone:1-650-479-3207 Call-in toll number (US/Canada) | Access code: 230 336 00263

Agenda Topics
NERC Standards Updates
Latrice Harkness, Director of Standards Development, NERC

Latrice will give an overview of new NERC Reliability Standards that will be going into effect on April 1, 2024.

Overview of RF Regional Risk Assessment
Johnny Gest, Manager, Engineering and System Performance, RF

Johnny will introduce RF’s latest Regional Risk Assessment and discuss the various risks and RF’s methodology in formulating the report.

Reference Materials
Tech Talk with RF March 2024
System Operating Limits Presentation March 2023
Regional Risk Assessment Overview Presentation March 2024

Technical Talk with RF
2024-04-15 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Virtual (Webex)
ReliabilityFirst (RF) offers a regularly scheduled monthly call to provide entities and stakeholders with a forum for addressing topics and questions relevant to reliability, resilience and security.
While RF Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will provide presentations and updates, they will not address entity-specific questions and issues. These types of questions can be handled offline by using the RF Assist Visit program. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Entity Engagement department via our Contact Us page.
Event Information
Join link: https://reliabilityfirst.webex.com/reliabilityfirst/j.php?MTID=ma4312cf0754c6ff9a76676a4ab16ad17
Meeting Number: 2311 094 6844
Meeting Password: [REDACTED] (01234456 from phones and video systems)
Join by phone: 1-650-479-3207 Call-in toll number (US/Canada)
Access Code: 231 109 46844

Agenda Topics
Supply chain shortages facing the electric grid
David Batz, Managing Director, Cyber & Infrastructure Security, Edison Electric Institute

As we electrify the grid, expand distribution and transmission, and respond to extreme weather events, maintaining a secure, reliable supply of transformers is critical to our national security. Batz will offer insight on one of the biggest risks the electric grid is facing today – transformer supply chain shortages and dependence on China and other foreign nations for these devices. He will discuss the risks, the challenges, the mitigations, and spare equipment strategies.

Reference Materials
Tech Talk with RF April 2024

2024 Q1/Q2 Talent and Compensation Committee Meeting
2024-05-01 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | ReliabilityFirst, 3 Summit Park Dr #600, Independence, OH, 44131, United States
2024-05-1-2 Schedule of Events
2024-05-01 Talent and Compensation Committee Agenda

2024 Q1/Q2 Risk and Compliance Committee Meeting
2024-05-01 13:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | ReliabilityFirst, 3 Summit Park Dr #600, Independence, OH, 44131, United States
2024-05-1-2 Schedule of Events
2024-05-01 Risk and Compliance Committee Agenda

2024 Q1/Q2 Finance and Audit Committee Meeting
2024-05-01 15:10 - 17:10 (America/New_York) | ReliabilityFirst, 3 Summit Park Dr #600, Independence, OH, 44131, United States
2024-05-1-2 Schedule of Events
2024-05-01 Finance and Audit Committee Agenda

2024 Q1/Q2 Nominating and Governance Committee Meeting
2024-05-01 15:10 - 17:10 (America/New_York) | ReliabilityFirst, 3 Summit Park Dr #600, Independence, OH, 44131, United States
2024-05-1-2 Schedule of Events
2024-05-01 Nominating and Governance Committee Agenda

2024 Q1/Q2 Board of Directors Meeting
2024-05-02 08:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | ReliabilityFirst, 3 Summit Park Dr #600, Independence, OH, 44131, United States
2024-05-1-2 Schedule of Events
2024-05-02 Board of Directors Agenda

Physical Security and Advanced DBT & VISA Applications Workshop
2024-05-14 09:00 - 2024-05-16 12:30 (America/New_York) | Hoosier Energy Board Room, 2501 S. Cooperative Way, Bloomington, IN, 47403, United States
The Physical Security and Advanced DBT & VISA Applications Workshop will be hosted by Hoosier Energy at its facility in Bloomington, Indiana. This event is being organized through a collaboration between ReliabilityFirst, SERC and Hoosier. Click here to register.

In this workshop, attendees will:

Identify the layers/stages of protection in depth.
Describe the role of Design Basis Threat in identifying threats and risks for entities and external partners.
Identify the importance of physical security for registered entities, external partners and their assets.
Identify types of threats/vulnerabilities to physical security for registered entities.
Explain the reason for employing physical security controls.
In the VISA application sessions, attendees will experience practical application of adversary sequence diagrams, design basis threat (DBT), and the Vulnerability of Integrated Security Analysis (VISA) methodology.

Target audience:
This event will be of interest to physical security personnel and registered entity staff (investor-owned, municipal, co-ops) charged with securing electric industry facilities and assets, as well as external security personnel whose facilities are dependent on reliable electricity delivery.

For questions regarding content, please contact Banna Underland at SERC. For questions regarding event logistics, please contact Trina Pardue at Hoosier.
