The winter storm of February 2021 in Austin, Texas | David Kitto, CC0 1.0 Universal, via Wikimedia Commons

April 26, 2024

Happy Friday from ERO Insider, your window on the world of electric reliability! It’s been another busy week for our intrepid reporters, so let’s dive in and see what stories they’ve gathered for you:

Summer is right around the corner, which usually means it’s time for FERC to discuss the winter — and that’s just what happened at the commission’s open meeting this week. Holden Mann brings you a look at the new report on grid performance during this January’s arctic storms, and why Chair Willie Phillips was smiling when staff finished their presentation. (See FERC, NERC Review January Winter Storm Performance.) 

FERC is also considering adopting the latest revisions to a key set of standards governing business practices and communication protocols for public utilities. Click through for more on the new updates and why the commission thinks they’ll improve reliability. (See FERC Proposes Adopting NAESB’s Latest Revisions.) 

Robert Mullin is up next, reporting on a move by participants in the Western Resource Adequacy Program to push back the program’s binding penalty phase by an additional year. Follow the link to see why stakeholders are concerned they won’t be able to meet the current deadline. (See WRAP Participants Seek 1-Year Delay to ‘Binding’ Operations.) 

Speakers at a workshop this week hosted by the Texas Reliability Entity said utilities should view an audit for NERC’s Critical Infrastructure Protection standards as an opportunity for growth. Join us inside for more on what entities can expect when they see auditors at the door. (See Texas RE Auditors Push Preparedness for Security Walkthroughs.) 

Thanks again for joining us! We’ll be here all next week bringing you the news from around the ERO Enterprise and beyond, so keep checking the website for all the latest updates. Have a great weekend! 

Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings:

• 4/30/24: NERC System Planning Impacts of DER Working Group Meeting
• 5/1/24: NERC System Planning Impacts of DER Working Group Meeting
• 5/2/24: Talk with Texas RE: MOVEit Vulnerability