I recently was invited to give a talk at an industry conference on the topic, “Cyber Security — Reality or Myth.” I was somewhat surprised at the topic, especially in light of some of the highly publicized recent attacks such as Stuxnet, Duqu, Aurora, and Anonymous, to name just a few. What could have provoked [...]

Scheduling entities and transmission operators within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region are subject to protocol compliance audits. Texas Reliability Entity, Inc. (Texas RE) monitors compliance with ERCOT Protocols and Operating Guides for the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), as outlined on the Texas RE website: Any organization that is registered with [...]

On June 18, 2007, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) mandated all users, owners, and operators of the bulk electric system (BES) comply with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Reliability Standards. Since then, the energy industry has been earnestly implementing the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) NERC Cyber Security Standards CIP-002 through CIP-009. FERC [...]

A look at recent history of electricity market innovations in the United States shows that competitive markets have fostered—and will continue to foster—innovation in the U.S. electricity industry. Three case studies shed light on aspects of competitive electricity markets that can help accelerate innovation.

Balancing customer and environmental demands and existing and emerging technologies to create a sustainable energy future requires bold, confident leadership to navigate the challenges of change. Here’s a look at the perspectives on the future of leadership and strategy from some of the C-level energy and utility industry leaders gathering at the 2010 KEMA Utility [...]