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August 9, 2024

Hello again from ERO Insider on another wonderful Friday, one of the last of the summer! And a special salute to all of our readers currently buying school supplies, one of those less beloved annual rituals. According to the National Retail Federation, total back-to-school spending for 2023 topped out at $41.5 billion, a big jump from $36.9 billion the year before; that comes to $890 per household for 2023, up $26 from 2022. Spare a thought for the families hitting the big-box stores or shopping online this month. 

Of course, school supply spending isn’t the only thing rising: Electric load growth is also on the minds of policymakers, as Elaine Goodman found out this week at a webinar hosted by WECC. Follow the link to see why data centers are replacing transportation as the biggest issue. (See Data Centers Bringing ‘Massive’ Loads to Western Grid.) 

NERC is looking to help registered entities improve their cyber and physical security postures with a new report released this week. Join Holden Mann inside for a look at the biggest themes identified in the report. (See NERC Report Identifies Persistent CIP Violation Themes.) 

The Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity watchdog also released a report this week outlining steps companies can take to ensure their software purchases are designed around cybersecurity from the ground up. Join us inside for details on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s guidelines. (See CISA Launches Cybersecurity Software Buying Guide.) 

The victims of last year’s wildfires in Hawaii and their families may get some closure soon now that an agreement has been reached with seven defendants — including Hawaiian Electric Co. — to pay out more than $4 billion in compensation. We’ve got more on the settlement inside, of which HECO constitutes almost half. (See HECO Joins $4B Settlement over Maui Wildfires.) 

Thanks again for joining us for another whirl around the world of electric reliability! Be sure to check back throughout next week for the latest updates, including reports from the meetings of NERC’s Board of Trustees and Member Representatives Committee in Vancouver. And of course we’ll be back with another weekly email on Friday. Until then, stay safe, stay cool, and have a great week! 

Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings:

• 8/14/24: NERC Board Committee Open Meetings
  
• 8/14/24: NERC 3rd-Quarter Technical Session
  
• 8/15/24: NERC Member Representatives Committee Open Meeting
  
• 8/15/24: NERC Board of Trustees Open Meeting