CEO
Jim Robb is CEO of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, better known as NERC, held its Trades Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting in mid-October in Washington, D.C. NERC’s mission is to assure the effective and efficient reduction of risks to the reliability and security of the grid. PUF Executive Editor Steve Mitnick discussed achieving that with NERC CEO Jim Robb, Chief Engineer Mark Lauby, General Counsel Sonia Rocha, Senior Vice President of Strategy and External Engagement Camilo Serna, and Senior Vice President of Regulatory Oversight Howard Gugel.
PUF’s Steve Mitnick: Talk about threats facing the grid.
Jim Robb: Most of the risks to the grid right now are coming from outside the classic definition of the grid. We have strong standards and controls around things like vegetation management, facility ratings, situation awareness, and the like.
But now risk is being generated from policies related to grid transformation and how those new resources and loads operate. It’s coming from extreme weather systems, it’s exposing gaps in coordination with the gas system, all those things. Of course, security threats to the sector are growing as well, both cybersecurity and increasingly bold physical attacks.