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State Energy Insights: May 2025
Grid Reliability and Regulatory Updates from ReliabilityFirst
Upcoming Events
May 15, 10-11 a.m. ET | FERC Open Meeting
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will hold an open meeting on Thursday, May 15. There will be a webcast link available on the FERC website.
May 27, 8:30-10 a.m. ET | Tech Talk with RF
Join us for our next Tech Talk on Tuesday, May 27! Bill Smith will be discussing the impact of renewable generation on Power Systems Operation through a simulated OPS-X exercise, an interactive training tool developed by his company, Powersmiths International.
Sept. 8-10, 2025 | RF Fall Reliability & Security Summit
Save the date for RF’s 2025 Fall Reliability & Security Summit! This year’s event is planned for Sept. 8-10 in the Washington, D.C., area. Stay tuned for more details.
Nov. 18-19, 2025 | GridEx VIII
GridEx is the largest grid security exercise in North America, hosted every two years by the NERC Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC). It offers E-ISAC member and partner organizations a forum in which to practice how they would respond to and recover from coordinated cyber and physical security threats and incidents.
The last event in 2023 saw more than 15,000 participants come together from approximately 250 North American organizations, including the electric industry, cross-sector partners from gas and telecommunications, and U.S. and Canadian government partners.
News & Updates
Impact Report highlights collaboration, outreach, and compliance work at center of RF’s mission to ensure electric grid reliability and security
ReliabilityFirst published its 2024 Impact Report, highlighting the value of our collaboration, outreach and compliance efforts to ensure the reliability and security of the electric grid.
This document captures RF’s work in action in 2024, as well as some of the trends and takeaways we’ve seen in the enforcement and noncompliance space as well as potential threats to the grid.
The Impact Report also serves as a great high-level resource for our stakeholders to better get to know our organization at a glance.
Click here to read the full report and watch our video below.
NERC chief engineer highlights potential grid disturbances attributable to data centers
NERC Chief Engineer Mark Lauby presented at FERC’s April open meeting about potential grid disturbances attributable to data centers, and cited examples of large offline trips in Virginia and Texas.
The risk associated with losing multiple large loads is the disruption of frequency leading to potential trips across the system (discussed in a recent NERC incident review report).
To address this emerging risk, NERC has assembled a Large Load Task Force to make recommendations. NERC is also considering rule changes requiring registration for large loads (or the entities serving the load), and crafting reliability standards to minimize the risk of simultaneous large load trips. NERC’s announcement contains additional information.
FERC issues joint performance report on January 2025 arctic events
On April 17, FERC released the joint FERC, NERC, and Regional Entity System Performance Report on January 2025 Arctic Events. The report focuses on the grid’s performance during January 2025’s winter storms Blair, Cora, Demi, and Enzo. The report team sent information requests to and met with ten participating sample entities across the Eastern and Texas Interconnections.
The report states that between Jan. 21-22, 2025, natural gas demand peaked at 150 Bcf/day, electric demand peaked at 683 GW (including new demand peaks for many entities), and unplanned generator outages peaked at 71,022 MW. However, manual load shed was not required during the January events even though they lasted 21 days, a longer period than past winter storms that caused impacts to the grid.
The report states that this improved performance is in part due to better communication and coordination between the natural gas and electric industries. However, this can be inconsistent depending on the natural gas provider at issue, and additional improvements are needed. There was also better coordination within the electric industry, with entities stating that an increase in reliability coordinator-to-reliability coordinator calls helped to prepare for the winter storms.
Many participating entities stated that generators performed better during the January 2025 events than in prior winter storms. The report team looked at the causes of generator outages, and of those that had a reported event cause, 54% were due to mechanical or electrical issues, 34% were due to fuel issues, 18% were due to freezing issues, and 5% were due to other causes. Participating entities noted that generators with dual-fuel capabilities helped maintain reliability during natural gas system constraints, and that battery storage also played a role in maintaining reliability (for example, in ERCOT the rapid deployment of battery storage resulted in batteries providing 3,800 MW during peak demand times).
Entities also said that prior winter storm experiences have helped them improve their load forecasting abilities, which led to less forecasting errors during the 2025 winter storms. The report team concluded that winter preparedness has improved, but that additional improvement is still needed and it is important to continue to implement recommendations from the Winter Storm Uri and Elliott reports, the December 2023 blackstart study, and the January 2024 Winter Storms Gerri and Heather system performance review.
House Committee on Energy and Commerce holds hearing on AI development in U.S.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on “Converting Energy into Intelligence: The Future of AI Technology, Human Discovery, and American Global Competitiveness” on April 9.
The witnesses were Eric Schmidt, chair of the Special Competitive Studies Project and former Google chairman and CEO; Manish Bhatia, executive vice president of Global Operations, Micron Technology; Alexandr Wang, founder and CEO, Scale AI; and David Turk, distinguished visiting fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University, and former deputy secretary of the DOE.
Congress members and witnesses discussed the importance of the U.S. leading the way in AI development, with some noting that it is a national security imperative to develop advanced AI capabilities before China does. Schmidt stated that the amount of energy needed for AI is “profound” and that all forms of energy are needed quickly (from both conventional resources and renewables). There was also discussion on how small modular nuclear reactors could be an ideal energy source for AI, but that these are not currently in use in the U.S. and that the regulatory approval process for them needs to be streamlined. A recording of the hearing is available here.
The post State Energy Insights from ReliabilityFirst: May 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
]]>The post First Things RFirst: May 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
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First Things RFirst: May 2025
Expert analysis for a more reliable, secure and resilient electric grid, plus news and updates for RF stakeholders.
News & Updates
Impact Report highlights collaboration, outreach, and compliance work at center of RF’s mission to ensure electric grid reliability and security
ReliabilityFirst published its 2024 Impact Report, highlighting the value of our collaboration, outreach and compliance efforts to ensure the reliability and security of the electric grid.
This document captures RF’s work in action in 2024, as well as some of the trends and takeaways we’ve seen in the enforcement and noncompliance space as well as potential threats to the grid.
The Impact Report also serves as a great high-level resource for our stakeholders to better get to know our organization at a glance.
Click here to read the full report and watch our video below.
Insights & Analysis
The Lighthouse: CIP low impact from the ground up – Part 7, Governance and policy
In Part 7 of Lew Folkerth’s series exploring the NERC CIP Standards applicable to low impact BES Cyber Systems, he turns his focus to governance and policy. Lew offers CIP Senior Managers his suggestions on leveraging cyber security policy to further their management goals, expectations, and aspirations, when it comes to their organizations’ CIP security management controls posture.
Regulatory Affairs: Grid reliability news we’re tracking
The latest regulatory headlines we’re tracking include:
- House Committee on Energy and Commerce holds hearing on AI development in U.S.
- NERC chief engineer highlights potential grid disturbances attributable to data centers
- Executive Order calls for grid to utilize all available generation sources to ensure reliability amid growing electricity demand
- FERC issues joint performance report on January 2025 arctic events
Upcoming Events
May 27, 8:30-10 a.m. ET | Tech Talk with RF
Join us for our May edition of Tech Talk with RF! Please note the scheduling change for this month’s webinar, which will be on Tuesday, May 27, from 8:30-10 a.m. ET. Bill Smith will be discussing the impact of renewable generation on Power Systems Operation through a simulated OPS-X exercise, an interactive training tool developed by his company, Powersmiths International.
May 20-21, 2025 | MRO Reliability, Security, and CMEP Summit
MRO will host its 2025 Reliability, Security, and CMEP Summit May 20-21 in Oklahoma City. There will also be a virtual option.
June 16, 2- 3:30 p.m. ET | Tech Talk with RF
Save the date for our June edition of Tech Talk with RF! We’ll be back to our normal Monday afternoon timeslot on June 16, from 2-3:30 p.m. ET. Stay tuned for agenda details to be posted on our website calendar and LinkedIn feed.
Aug. 6, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET | Protection System Workshop
Register now for RF’s 11th Protection System Workshop on Aug. 6, 2025. This event will be held virtually via WebEx. The agenda and additional information are currently being developed and will be available soon.
Aug. 7, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET | Human Performance Workshop
Register now for RF’s 8th Annual Human Performance Workshop on Aug. 7, 2025. This event will be held virtually via WebEx. The agenda and additional information are currently being developed and will be available soon.
Sept. 8-10, 2025 | RF Fall Reliability & Security Summit
Save the date for RF’s 2025 Fall Reliability & Security Summit! This year’s event is planned for Sept. 8-10 in the Washington, D.C., area. Stay tuned for more details.
Nov. 18-19, 2025 | GridEx VIII
GridEx is the largest grid security exercise in North America, hosted every two years by the NERC Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC). It offers E-ISAC member and partner organizations a forum in which to practice how they would respond to and recover from coordinated cyber and physical security threats and incidents.
The last event in 2023 saw more than 15,000 participants come together from approximately 250 North American organizations, including the electric industry, cross-sector partners from gas and telecommunications, and U.S. and Canadian government partners.
To explore our full calendar of upcoming events, click here.
The post First Things RFirst: May 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
]]>The post Impact Report highlights RF’s value to electric grid reliability and security appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
]]>ReliabilityFirst published its 2024 Impact Report Monday, highlighting the value of our collaboration, outreach and compliance efforts to ensure the reliability and security of the electric grid.
This document captures RF’s work in action in 2024, as well as some of the trends and takeaways we’ve seen in the enforcement and noncompliance space as well as potential threats to the grid.
The Impact Report also serves as a great high-level resource for our stakeholders to better get to know our organization at a glance.
Click here to read the full report and watch the video below to learn more about RF and some of our top priorities and accomplishments in 2024.
###
ReliabilityFirst is one of six regional organizations which, in conjunction with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), are known as the Electric Reliability Organization (ERO) Enterprise, responsible for ensuring the reliability and security of the North American Bulk Electric System. We promote the reliability and security of the electric grid through standards, outreach, training and analysis, that includes partnership with communities and experts. We are based out of Cleveland, Ohio, and our footprint includes the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic areas of the United States.
The post Impact Report highlights RF’s value to electric grid reliability and security appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
]]>The post Regulatory Affairs news highlights: May 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
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Recent regulatory headlines we’re tracking include:
House Committee on Energy and Commerce holds hearing on AI development in U.S.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on “Converting Energy into Intelligence: The Future of AI Technology, Human Discovery, and American Global Competitiveness” on April 9.
The witnesses were Eric Schmidt, chair of the Special Competitive Studies Project and former Google chairman and CEO; Manish Bhatia, executive vice president of Global Operations, Micron Technology; Alexandr Wang, founder and CEO, Scale AI; and David Turk, distinguished visiting fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University, and former deputy secretary of the DOE.
Congress members and witnesses discussed the importance of the U.S. leading the way in AI development, with some noting that it is a national security imperative to develop advanced AI capabilities before China does. Schmidt stated that the amount of energy needed for AI is “profound” and that all forms of energy are needed quickly (from both conventional resources and renewables). There was also discussion on how small modular nuclear reactors could be an ideal energy source for AI, but that these are not currently in use in the U.S. and that the regulatory approval process for them needs to be streamlined. A recording of the hearing is available here.
NERC chief engineer highlights potential grid disturbances attributable to data centers
NERC Chief Engineer Mark Lauby presented at FERC’s April open meeting about potential grid disturbances attributable to data centers, and cited examples of large offline trips in Virginia and Texas.
The risk associated with losing multiple large loads is the disruption of frequency leading to potential trips across the system (discussed in a recent NERC incident review report).
To address this emerging risk, NERC has assembled a Large Load Task Force to make recommendations. NERC is also considering rule changes requiring registration for large loads (or the entities serving the load), and crafting reliability standards to minimize the risk of simultaneous large load trips. NERC’s announcement contains additional information.
Executive Order calls for grid to utilize all available generation sources to ensure reliability amid growing electricity demand
The Trump administration issued a number of energy-related executive orders in April, including Strengthening the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid. This order states that to ensure adequate and reliable generation and meet growing demand, the grid must utilize all available generation sources.
The order directs the Secretary of Energy to streamline, systemize, and expedite the Department of Energy (DOE)’s processes for issuing emergency orders under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act during emergency conditions on the grid. The order also directs the Secretary of Energy to “develop a uniform methodology for analyzing current and anticipated reserve margins for all regions of the bulk power system” regulated by FERC and use that methodology to identify “current and anticipated regions with reserve margins below acceptable thresholds…” This methodology must be published on the DOE website within 90 days.
The order also directs the DOE to create a protocol to identify which generation resources within a region are critical to system reliability. The protocol must include “all mechanisms available under applicable law, including section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, to ensure any generation resource identified as critical within an at-risk region is appropriately retained as an available generation resource within the at-risk region.”
FERC issues joint performance report on January 2025 arctic events
On April 17, FERC released the joint FERC, NERC, and Regional Entity System Performance Report on January 2025 Arctic Events. The report focuses on the grid’s performance during January 2025’s winter storms Blair, Cora, Demi, and Enzo. The report team sent information requests to and met with ten participating sample entities across the Eastern and Texas Interconnections.
The report states that between Jan. 21-22, 2025, natural gas demand peaked at 150 Bcf/day, electric demand peaked at 683 GW (including new demand peaks for many entities), and unplanned generator outages peaked at 71,022 MW. However, manual load shed was not required during the January events even though they lasted 21 days, a longer period than past winter storms that caused impacts to the grid.
The report states that this improved performance is in part due to better communication and coordination between the natural gas and electric industries. However, this can be inconsistent depending on the natural gas provider at issue, and additional improvements are needed. There was also better coordination within the electric industry, with entities stating that an increase in reliability coordinator-to-reliability coordinator calls helped to prepare for the winter storms.
Many participating entities stated that generators performed better during the January 2025 events than in prior winter storms. The report team looked at the causes of generator outages, and of those that had a reported event cause, 54% were due to mechanical or electrical issues, 34% were due to fuel issues, 18% were due to freezing issues, and 5% were due to other causes. Participating entities noted that generators with dual-fuel capabilities helped maintain reliability during natural gas system constraints, and that battery storage also played a role in maintaining reliability (for example, in ERCOT the rapid deployment of battery storage resulted in batteries providing 3,800 MW during peak demand times).
Entities also said that prior winter storm experiences have helped them improve their load forecasting abilities, which led to less forecasting errors during the 2025 winter storms. The report team concluded that winter preparedness has improved, but that additional improvement is still needed and it is important to continue to implement recommendations from the Winter Storm Uri and Elliott reports, the December 2023 blackstart study, and the January 2024 Winter Storms Gerri and Heather system performance review.
The post Regulatory Affairs news highlights: May 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
]]>The post ReliabilityFirst posts 2026 Draft Business Plan and Budget for 30-day comment appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
]]>On Thursday, the ReliabilityFirst (RF) Board of Directors approved the organization’s 2026 Business Plan and Budget, Draft, Version 1, for publication for 30-day industry comment and release to NERC.
Annually, the Regional Entities are required to develop their Business Plan and Budget (BP&B) for the following year to provide adequate time for the Regional Boards, the NERC Board, and FERC to each approve the documents in succession. NERC and the Regional Entities developed a set of strategic and operating objectives in order to develop their individual BP&B with a common foundation. These strategic and operating objectives are set forth in the ERO Enterprise Long Term Strategy. Any unique objectives that apply only to RF are expressly noted in the BP&B. In developing the 2026 BP&B, management considered the common assumptions, conducted manpower analyses, considered efficiency gains attributable to new processes and maturing systems, and examined projected future workloads.
Please review the 2026 BP&B and provide any comments to beth.dowdell@rfirst.org.
The post ReliabilityFirst posts 2026 Draft Business Plan and Budget for 30-day comment appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
]]>The post First Things RFirst: April 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
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First Things RFirst: April 2025
Expert analysis for a more reliable, secure and resilient electric grid, plus news and updates for RF stakeholders.
Insights & Analysis
The Lighthouse: CIP low impact from the ground up – Part 6, Asset identification
This is the sixth in a series of articles in which RF’s Lew Folkerth will explore the NERC CIP Standards applicable to low impact Bulk Electric System Cyber Systems. In this article, Lew examines the Cyber Security standard on BES Cyber System Categorization, CIP-002-5.1a, and offers ideas for how to implement compliance with this Standard.
Big Bay Point Lighthouse in Big Bay, Michigan (Photo: Lew Folkerth, RF)
Regulatory Affairs: Grid reliability news we’re tracking
The latest regulatory headlines we’re tracking include:
- U.S. House Energy Subcommittee holds hearing on meeting energy demand growth
- FERC Chairman Mark Christie discusses AI and demand growth
- FERC releases 2024 State of the Markets Report
- CISA, NSA, FBI issue cybersecurity advisory on ‘fast flux’ cyber evasion technique
News & Updates
NERC plans to issue Level 3 industry alert related to inverter-based resources
In a report issued earlier this month (Aggregated Report on NERC Level 2 Recommendation to Industry), NERC indicated that it will have to issue its highest level of alert (Level 3) to address shortcomings revealed in a recent information request about inverter use. This month’s Level 2 alert was inspired by concerns over inverter-based resources and related modeling practices after a series of grid disturbances in recent years involving such generators. In the report, NERC “indicated that GOs do not keep the requested data and information readily available and up-to-date and are reliant on [original equipment manufacturer] and consultant support” to provide the information when requested.
A Level 3 alert, which NERC will be issuing, indicates specific steps deemed essential for certain stakeholders to ensure reliable grid operation. NERC has only issued a Level 3 alert once before in its history, and issuing a Level 3 alert requires approval from NERC’s Board of Trustees.
NERC Publishes IBR Registration Initiative Supplemental Guide Focused on Reliability Standards Compliance Dates
NERC has released the Reliability Standards Compliance Dates for Generator Owners and Generator Operators in support of the IBR Registration Initiative. The document provides information and awareness to non-Bulk Electric System IBR owners and operators that meet the new registration criteria. It will be updated along with NERC’s quarterly work plan update filings to FERC and is in the IBR Registration Initiative Quick Reference Guide.
Upcoming Events
April 21, 2-3:30 p.m. ET | Tech Talk with RF
Join us for our next Tech Talk on Monday, April 21, at 2 p.m. ET. Our agenda features:
GridEx VIII Preview
Jesse Sythe, GridEx Program Manager, E-ISAC
Nuclear energy’s place in supporting grid reliability
Timothy McJunkin, Distinguished Researcher and Group Lead for Grid Integration and Control in the Power and Energy System, Idaho National Laboratory
Current state of the CIP Standards
Lew Folkerth, Principal Reliability Consultant, External Affairs, RF
May 27, 9-10 a.m. ET | Tech Talk with RF
Save the date for our May edition of Tech Talk with RF! Please note the scheduling change for this month’s webinar, which will be on Tuesday, May 27, from 9-10 a.m. ET. Bill Smith will be discussing the impact of renewable generation on Power Systems Operation through a simulated OPS-X exercise, an interactive training tool developed by his company, Powersmiths International.
Sept. 8-10, 2025 | RF Fall Reliability & Security Summit
Save the date for RF’s 2025 Fall Reliability & Security Summit! This year’s event is planned for Sept. 8-10 in the Washington, D.C., area. Stay tuned for more details.
To explore our full calendar of upcoming events, click here.
The post First Things RFirst: April 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
]]>The post Regulatory Affairs news highlights: April 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
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Recent regulatory headlines we’re tracking include:
U.S. House Energy Subcommittee holds hearing on meeting energy demand growth
In early March, the U.S. House of Representatives Energy Subcommittee held a hearing on challenges facing utilities in delivering reliable, affordable electricity to meet the growing demand for power across the country. The hearing featured four witnesses: Todd Brickhouse, CEO and General Manager of Basin Electric Power Cooperative; Asim Haque, Senior Vice President for Governmental and Member Services, PJM; Noel Black, Senior VP of Regulatory Affairs, Southern Company; and Tyler Norris, James B. Duke Fellow at Duke University. There was discussion of the growing demand for power by AI data centers, the retirement of dispatchable resources, and how to maintain resource adequacy and reliability considering these trends.
Mr. Brickhouse stated that the retirement of generation is not in the country’s national security interest, and Mr. Norris discussed his recent study examining the potential for flexible large load growth across the U.S. (such as demand response strategies for large loads). Mr. Haque discussed PJM’s generation interconnection queue and the recent reforms to that interconnection process to help generation come online more quickly. He also discussed essential reliability services, how more generation of all types is needed, and that a diversified fuel mix can enhance reliability. There was discussion among the Congress members and the panel on various related topics, including consumer costs, supply chain and physical security concerns, and the increasing role of nuclear energy. A full recording of the hearing is available here.
FERC Chairman Mark Christie discusses AI and demand growth
FERC recently issued a press release sharing that Chairman Mark Christie appeared on the Platt’s S&P Global Energy podcast to discuss the challenge of rising power demand across the country. During the podcast, Christie explained FERC’s statutory role and reliability responsibilities and stated that AI and data centers are causing an increase in demand at a pace not seen in decades. He went on to state that dispatchable resources (e.g., coal and natural gas) are being retired, and new resources are not coming online as quickly as needed. Christie also discussed his thoughts on the electricity markets and how they relate to resource adequacy issues. There was discussion on how to protect consumers from paying too much for transmission, and Christie stated that transmission projects should be built to serve consumers but should not be overbuilt. He noted that local transmission projects (contained within a single utility) are seeing large growth and raised the question of whether these projects are being vetted to see if they are all necessary.
FERC releases 2024 State of the Markets Report
On March 20, FERC staff issued its annual State of the Markets Report for 2024. The report states that electricity demand increased across all the regional transmission organizations and independent system operators (RTOs/ISOs) by 2.8% in 2024, and forecasts that electric loads will increase by 132 GW by summer 2029 and 149 GW by winter 2029.
Also of note is its report on the changing resource mix, with coal decreasing by 3.3%, utility-scale solar increasing by 32%, and wind increasing by 7.7% compared to 2023. The report states that capacity prices have gone up in both PJM and MISO, and that natural gas prices have gone down slightly (except for in the Northeast). The report also cites the 2024 Long-Term Reliability Assessment’s statement that the loss of thermal generators and replacement by solar, battery, and hybrid resources may pose future reliability concerns.
Regarding transmission, the report states that over 450 new transmission projects entered service in 2024 across the U.S. While solar and storage made up 81% of queue capacity at the end of the year, natural gas generation and storage made up the most capacity entering the queue during the year. The report then discusses increasing load growth due to electrification and data centers, and how resource adequacy issues are causing increases in capacity market prices. The full report is linked here.
CISA, NSA, FBI issue cybersecurity advisory on ‘fast flux’ cyber evasion technique
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with the NSA, FBI, and other agencies, have issued a joint Cybersecurity Advisory warning about a malicious cyber actor evasion technique called “fast flux,” stating that many networks have a gap in their defenses for detecting and blocking this technique. The advisory goes into detail about the technique and encourages service providers to take specific proactive steps to develop accurate, reliable, and timely fast flux detection analytics and blocking capabilities for their customers. The advisory also recommends that all organizations take the following mitigation steps:
- Block access to domains identified as using fast flux through non-routable DNS responses or firewall rules
- Consider sink-holing the malicious domains, redirecting traffic from those domains to a controlled server to capture and analyze the traffic, helping to identify compromised hosts within the network
- Block IP addresses known to be associated with malicious fast flux networks
- Block traffic to and from domains or IP addresses with poor reputations, especially ones identified as participating in malicious fast flux activity
- Increase logging and monitoring of DNS traffic and network communications to identify new or ongoing fast flux activities
- Participate in public and private information-sharing programs to stay informed about emerging fast flux tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs)
- Conduct phishing awareness and training
The post Regulatory Affairs news highlights: April 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
]]>The post State Energy Insights from ReliabilityFirst: April 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
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State Energy Insights: April 2025
Grid Reliability and Regulatory Updates from ReliabilityFirst
Upcoming Events
April 17, 10-11 a.m. ET | FERC Open Meeting
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will hold an open meeting on Thursday, April 17. There will be a webcast link available on the FERC website.
April 21, 2-3:30 p.m. ET | Tech Talk with RF
Join us for our next Tech Talk on April 21, where we’ll have a presentation on nuclear energy’s place in supporting grid reliability by Idaho National Laboratory Distinguished Researcher Timothy McJunkin. This is particularly relevant given the large load growth the grid is seeing, which has led to momentum for some nuclear plants being restarted and potentially increasing the unit capacity at existing plants.
News & Updates
FERC Chairman Christie shares thoughts on rising demand and resource adequacy
FERC issued a press release sharing that Chairman Mark Christie appeared on the Platt’s S&P Global Energy podcast to discuss the challenge of rising power demand across the country.
Christie explained FERC’s statutory role and reliability responsibilities and stated that AI and data centers are causing an increase in demand at a pace not seen in decades. He went on to state that dispatchable resources such as coal and natural gas are being retired, and new resources are not coming online as quickly as needed.
Christie also discussed his thoughts on the electricity markets and how they relate to resource adequacy issues. There was discussion on how to protect consumers from paying too much for transmission, and Christie stated that transmission projects should be built to serve consumers but should not be overbuilt. He noted that local transmission projects (contained within a single utility) are seeing large growth and raised the question of whether these projects are being vetted to see if they are all necessary.
FERC issues 2024 State of the Markets Report
FERC staff recently issued its annual State of the Markets Report for 2024. The report states that electricity demand increased across all the regional transmission organizations and independent system operators (RTOs/ISOs) by 2.8% in 2024, and forecasts that electric loads will increase by 132 GW by summer 2029 and 149 GW by winter 2029.
Also of note is its report on the changing resource mix, with coal decreasing by 3.3%, utility-scale solar increasing by 32%, and wind increasing by 7.7% compared to 2023. The report states that capacity prices have gone up in both PJM and MISO, and that natural gas prices have gone down slightly (except for in the Northeast).
The report also cites NERC’s 2024 Long-Term Reliability Assessment’s statement that the loss of thermal generators and replacement by solar, battery, and hybrid resources may pose future reliability concerns. Regarding transmission, the report states that more than 450 new transmission projects entered service in 2024 across the U.S. The full report is available here.
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee Hearing – Keeping the Lights On: Examining the State of Regional Grid Reliability
On March 25, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing with senior executives from the seven RTO/ISOs in the U.S. about how to best maintain reliability in light of the increasing demand for electricity.
Topics discussed during the hearing included the interaction of state and federal policies and their associated impact on reliability, recent increases in capacity prices, and how to meet growing demand from data centers. The hearing is available to view in its entirety here.
Federal agencies issue warning on ‘fast flux’ malicious cyber attack
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with the NSA, FBI, and other agencies, issued a joint Cybersecurity Advisory on April 3 warning about a malicious cyber actor evasion technique called “fast flux,” stating that many networks have a gap in their defenses for detecting and blocking this technique.
The advisory goes into detail about the technique and encourages service providers to take specific proactive steps to develop accurate, reliable, and timely fast flux detection analytics and blocking capabilities for their customers. The advisory also recommends that all organizations take the following mitigation steps:
- Block access to domains identified as using fast flux through non-routable DNS responses or firewall rules
- Consider sink holing the malicious domains, redirecting traffic from those domains to a controlled server to capture and analyze the traffic, helping to identify compromised hosts within the network
- Block IP addresses known to be associated with malicious fast flux networks
- Block traffic to and from domains or IP addresses with poor reputations, especially ones identified as participating in malicious fast flux activity
- Increase logging and monitoring of DNS traffic and network communications to identify new or ongoing fast flux activities
- Participate in public and private information-sharing programs to stay informed about emerging fast flux tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs)
- Conduct phishing awareness and training
The post State Energy Insights from ReliabilityFirst: April 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
]]>The post First Things RFirst: March 2025 appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
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First Things RFirst: March 2025
Expert analysis for a more reliable, secure and resilient electric grid, plus news and updates for RF stakeholders.
Insights & Analysis
The Lighthouse: CIP low impact from the ground up – Part 5, Quality evidence
This is the fifth in a series of articles in which RF’s Lew Folkerth will explore the NERC CIP Standards applicable to low impact Bulk Electric System Cyber Systems. In this article, Lew offers his advice to registered entities on gathering and presenting quality evidence when they are audited to any of the NERC Reliability Standards.
Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, Port Huron, MI (Photo: Lew Folkerth)
Reminders for entities submitting self-reports and mitigation activities
Here are some things entities should keep in mind the next time they’re reporting a potential noncompliance of the NERC Reliability Standards that can save their companies time and resources.
Regulatory Affairs: Grid reliability news we’re tracking
The latest regulatory headlines we’re tracking include:
- FERC, NERC to host joint workshop on supply chain risk management
- House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy discusses increased demand, renewable energy
- GRID Power Act introduced in House of Representatives
- FERC issues orders approving PRC-028-1, PRC-002-5, PRC-030-1, and TPL-008-1
News & Updates
RF Generator Welcome Package offers guidance and internal control information to new Generator Owners or Generator Operators
Are you a Generator Owner (GO) or Generator Operator (GOP) preparing for or just completing the registration process with NERC? RF’s new Generator Welcome Package provides entities with a framework to prepare for compliance obligations and to internally assess GOs and GOPs’ current state of compliance. This package also provides suggestions on internal controls that can be useful in developing a compliance program.
RF developed this package based on experiences with new GOs and GOPs, and while the package covers a variety of past problem areas and provides helpful guidance, it does not guarantee that compliance will be achieved. However, with proper planning and a framework for assessing the state of compliance, a GO/GOP is better prepared for compliance responsibilities which begin on its registration date.
Click here to explore the document, now available in our Resource Center.
NERC paper discusses growing dependence of electric grid on natural gas infrastructure
NERC released its second Reliability Insights document in March, exploring the interconnected relationship between the gas and electric systems. The series aims to inform stakeholders on topics related to reliability and security of the North American grid, identifying critical issues and potential reliability impacts.
In this paper, NERC details the growing dependence of the electric grid on natural gas infrastructure. This shift has created new operational and planning challenges, as seen during Winter Storm Elliott in December 2022 when extreme cold temperatures in the Eastern Interconnection caused both a spike in peak electricity demand as well as a major dip in natural gas production due to various mechanical and operational issues. The full document is available here.
Watch: CIP Themes and Lessons Learned Report highlighted in new video series
In 2024, the ERO Enterprise identified four risk themes that have made it difficult for some entities to mitigate risks associated with the NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection (“CIP”) Reliability Standards. To communicate these themes and possible resolutions to them, the ERO Enterprise developed the 2024 Critical Infrastructure Protection Themes and Lessons Learned Report, and RF recently released short videos on each of the themes (linked below).
The themes identified in the report are:
- Latent vulnerabilities: The importance of internal detective controls
- Insufficient commitment to low impact CIP programs: The need to revisit approaches to CIP-003 R2
- Shortages of labor and skillsets: Challenges in workforce and succession planning
- Performance drift: Physical security issues as markers of performance drift and apathy
Upcoming Events
March 17, 2-3:30 p.m. EST | Tech Talk with RF
Join us on Monday, March 17, for our next Tech Talk with RF! Here’s what’s on the agenda:
Large load forecasting
Molly Mooney, Senior Analyst, Resource Adequacy Group, PJM
- Molly Mooney will discuss what PJM has been seeing with data center growth, electric vehicle growth, and more in the organization’s long-term load forecast.
Incident review and guidance on voltage-sensitive large loads
Rich Bauer, Principal Engineer, NERC
Hassan Hamdar, Program Manager, Event Analysis, SERC
- Rich Bauer and Hassan Hamdar will review an event caused by a 230 kV transmission line fault where simultaneous loss of approximately 1,500 MW of voltage-sensitive load was not anticipated. The electric grid has not historically experienced simultaneous load losses of this magnitude in response to a fault on the system.
March 20, 1-5 p.m. ET | FERC-NERC Joint Supply Chain Workshop
FERC and NERC will hold a hybrid virtual/in-person workshop on supply chain risk management on March 20 at the FERC office in Washington, D.C.
The workshop will focus on FERC’s proposed directive in its September 2024 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to require that entities establish steps in supply chain risk management plans to validate the completeness and accuracy of information received from vendors during the procurement process. The aim is to better inform the identification and assessment of supply chain risks associated with vendors’ software, hardware, or services.
To register to attend in-person, click here. FERC plans to post information on how to attend virtually on its website prior to the event.
April 21, 2-3:30 p.m. ET | Tech Talk with RF
Save the date for our April edition of Tech Talk with RF! It’s coming up on April 21, from 2-3:30 p.m. ET. Stay tuned for agenda details to be posted to our website and LinkedIn feed.
June 4-6, 2025 | NERC Milestone 3 Industry Engagement Workshop
NERC is hosting a workshop from June 4 to 6 to discuss industry comments regarding: Project 2020-06 – Verifications of Models and Data for Generators; Project 2021-01 – System Model Validation with Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs); and Project 2022-02 – Uniform Modeling Framework for IBRs.
The primary objective of the workshop will be to explore the key commonalities identified in the industry comments received during the balloting period, as well as questions raised during outreach leading up to the workshop. Breakout sessions (which will only be open to in-person attendees) will provide opportunities for in-depth discussions on the relevant standards and to integrate industry comments into these standards in pursuit of consensus.
Workshop Schedule
- June 4, 2025: 12 – 5 p.m. | Large Group Conference (in-person/virtual)
- June 5, 2025: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Large Group Conference (in-person/virtual)
1 – 5 p.m. Project Breakout Session (in-person only) - June 6, 2025: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Project Breakout Session (in-person only)
NERC will share further details regarding the location and agenda closer to the workshop date. NERC’s Engineering and Standards Development staff will reach out to the industry to gather questions and comments approximately 1–2 weeks prior to the workshop. NERC encourages industry to submit any questions or topics they would like to see addressed during the event. For more information about this workshop, please contact Levetra Pitts.
Sept. 8-10, 2025 | RF Fall Reliability & Security Summit
Save the date for RF’s 2025 Fall Reliability & Security Summit! This year’s event is planned for Sept. 8-10 in the Washington, D.C., area. Stay tuned for more details.
Multiple dates | SERC System Operator Conferences
SERC is hosting four upcoming System Operator Conferences (SOCs), providing NERC-certified System Operators with the opportunity to earn 19 Continuing Education Hours.
- SOC #1: April 8–10, 2025 – Embassy Suites, Greenville, SC
- SOC #2: May 6–8, 2025 – SERC Office, Charlotte, NC
- SOC #3: Sept. 9–11, 2025 – Embassy Suites, Little Rock, AR
- SOC #4: Oct. 14–16, 2025 – SERC Office, Charlotte, NC
Further details and the link to register can be accessed through SERC University.
May 20-21, 2025 | MRO Reliability, Security, and CMEP Summit
MRO is hosting a Reliability, Security, and CMEP Summit on May 20-21 in Oklahoma City. Industry leaders and experts will come together to explore topics including uncertain energy availability, supply chain risks, IBR & DER performance, and security – physical and cyber.
To explore our full calendar of upcoming events, click here.
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]]>The post RF Generator Welcome Package offers guidance and internal control information to new Generator Owners or Generator Operators appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
]]>Are you a Generator Owner (GO) or Generator Operator (GOP) preparing for or just completing the registration process with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)? ReliabilityFirst (RF)’s new Generator Welcome Package provides entities with a framework to prepare for compliance obligations and to internally assess GOs and GOPs’ current state of compliance. This package also provides suggestions on internal controls that can be useful in developing a compliance program.
RF developed this package based on experiences with new GOs and GOPs, and while the package covers a variety of past problem areas and provides helpful guidance, it does not guarantee that compliance will be achieved. However, with proper planning and a framework for assessing the state of compliance, a GO/GOP is better prepared for compliance responsibilities which begin on its registration date.
Click here to explore the document, now available in our Resource Center.
The post RF Generator Welcome Package offers guidance and internal control information to new Generator Owners or Generator Operators appeared first on ReliabilityFirst.
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