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NRECA, Others, Warn FERC on Need for New NERC Standards

The American Public Power Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), amongst others, are warning the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) against directing the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to develop new standards or requirements in an effort to mitigate security risks tied to equipment and services.

Legal Alert: NERC and Power Company Reach Settlement on Violations of Cybersecurity Standards

With increased awareness of the urgent threat that cybersecurity failures pose to critical infrastructure, regulators have been stepping up their enforcement efforts, particularly against those entities that fail to establish and implement sufficient precautions against breaches.

Clean Power Plan to Rush Need for Infrastructure

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has forecasted that by 2030 the Clean Power Plan will boost renewable resources 10-20 gigawatts and coal capacity will fall by as much as 27 gigawatts.  This shift will accelerate the need for more transmission and pipeline infrastructure, with most new gas generation in the North and Southeast, and most wind power in the...

NERC Study Finds EPA’s Clean Power Plan Unworkable

A recent North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) study finds that the Clean Power Plan of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would require that electric cooperatives shut down approximately 21 percent of their coal generation by 2025.  The study also found that the generation and transmission projects necessary to fill the void left by coal generation would not be...

NRECA Supports New NERC Grid Protection Standards

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is welcoming the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) new Physical Security Grid Reliability Standards as a framework for cooperatives and other utilities to assess physical system risk and identify critical facilities, says NRECA CEO Jo Ann Emerson.  To read more please click here.

EPA Clean Power Plan Raises Reliability Concerns, Says NERC

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has released its first assessment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan.  In its report NERC identified several reliability challenges posed by the proposed rule, including the need for significant infrastructure requirements and pipeline expansions to maintain reliability.  To read more please click...

FERC Approves Revisions to Definition of Bulk Electric System

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently approved revisions by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to its definition of “bulk electric system,” effective the first day of the second quarter after issuance of the order.  The definition largely dictates which facilities are within NERC’s jurisdiction as FERC-Certified Electric Reliability...

FERC Issues Order on CIP 5 Reliability Standards

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently granted requests for clarification of, but denied requests for rehearing of, Order No. 791, which approved version 5 of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) 5 Reliability Standards.  The requests were filed by several trade associations, including the National Rural Electric...

NRECA Responds to WSJ Article on Grid Security

Jo Ann Emerson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), issued remarks on the electric coop industry’s efforts to protect the nation’s critical transmission system after a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article released sensitive information on the subject.  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently ordered the North American Electric Reliability...

NRECA Forming Cyber Security Task Force

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is forming a task force to ensure that coops’ needs are met when cyber security regulations and legislation take shape and require coops to take responsibility for safeguarding their operations.  The NRECA Cyber Security Task Force will focus on the implementation of cyber security standards by the North American Electric...

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