NERC
James Robb oversees NERC’s mission of assuring the reliability and security of the North American bulk power system. As president and CEO, he directs key programs affecting more than one thousand four hundred bulk power system owners, operators, and users, including mandatory NERC Reliability Standards, compliance monitoring, enforcement, situational awareness, event and risk analysis, reliability assessments and forecasting, cyber and physical security, and government relations. He also oversees operations of Regional Entities that support reliability mission across North America.
Mark Lauby is senior vice president and chief engineer at NERC. He joined NERC in January 2007 and has held a number of positions, including vice president and director of Standards and vice president and director of Reliability Assessments and Performance Analysis. Prior to joining NERC, he worked for EPRI for twenty years, holding a number of senior positions.
Realizing our vision of a net zero carbon future is dependent on a reliable, resilient, and secure bulk power system. As the electricity industry transitions in support of this ambitious target and as a consequence the economy becomes more electrified, we are witnessing and experiencing a sustained shift toward what is known as, 3-Dimension (3-D) Grid Transformation. That is:
Decarbonized — the interconnection of variable energy generation;
Distributed — energy resources, such as rooftop solar and other resources, connected to the distribution system;
Digitized — in load management and also in grid operations.
While collectively, the 3-Ds will deliver a grid with a lower carbon footprint, more localized control over resources, and better operational data for efficiency and optimization with variable generation like wind and solar, there is increased risk concerning fuel availability. Further, distributed resources, especially those residing behind the meter, mask true loads and operator visibility to them, and every digital device added to the grid increases the attack surface for cybercrime.