A WECC winter-weather readiness webinar featured a discussion of the Alberta Electric System Operator’s response to the severe cold snap of January 2024. AESO is heavily dependent on gas generation during cold weather. | Electricity Canada

September 13, 2024

Hello and happy Friday from ERO Insider, your source for the latest news from the ever-changing world of electric reliability! It’s been another busy week for our intrepid correspondents, so let’s get right into it and see what they’ve found! 

Members of the public can help grid operators during a crisis, and that’s exactly what happened during a severe cold snap earlier this year in Alberta, a utility representative said at a WECC webinar this week. Elaine Goodman has more on the quick response to an alert that helped avert rolling blackouts. (See Consumer Response Saved Alberta Grid During Jan. 2024 Cold Snap.) 

NERC’s Reliability and Security Technical Committee met this week in Montreal to move forward on an important standards development project. Join Holden Mann inside for the details, along with changes to the committee’s membership structure. (See NERC RSTC Approves Charter Revisions.) 

Attendees at this week’s Talk with Texas RE were treated to a presentation on ERCOT’s Cybersecurity Monitory Program, a voluntary outreach effort that lets Texas utilities share cyber-defense best practices and discuss emerging  cybersecurity issues. Click through for Tom Kleckner’s report on the discussion. (See ERCOT Cybersecurity Monitor Shares Best Practices.) 

NERC is in full swing on the federally mandated Interregional Transfer Capability Study, but the document may not be much use if FERC and Congress don’t update the rules on interregional transmission planning and permitting, experts said in a recent webinar. James Downing has more from the discussion behind the link. (See Webinar Examines How FERC Could Use Interregional Transmission Study.) 

A new survey from several renewable energy companies says HVDC transmission lines have a lot of potential to connect offshore wind power and link the grid together. But to unlock their full potential the offshore wind industry will need new standards. Follow the link for more from the report’s authors. (See Study: HVDC Needs Standards to Take off in US.) 

Thanks again for joining us! Keep checking with us next week for the latest news from the ERO Enterprise and beyond, and we’ll be back again on Friday with another weekly update. Have a great week!

Upcoming Stakeholder Meetings:

• 9/18/24: Texas RE Member Representatives Committee Meeting
  
• 9/18/24: NERC Standards Committee Meeting
  
• 9/18/24: Texas RE Board of Directors Meeting
  
• 9/19/24: Talk with Texas RE: Supply Chain Series