New Technologies: A look forward at security and compliance related to INSM, IBRs, DERs, and the role of cloud in achieving reliability objectives.

This panel-style discussion will detail the current and future state of cloud technology, applicable regulations, and industry use cases for inverter-based resources, distributed energy resources, and internal network security monitoring. Participants will come away with an understanding of current and future regulatory activities around these technologies, the role of cloud technology in the reliable and secure use of these technologies, and the opportunities and hurdles facing the industry.

The operational grid landscape is changing as is the make-up of the technologies delivering electric power. A proliferation of IBRs are dotting the landscape. The decentralization and growth of DERs are driving adaptations to management approaches. Meanwhile, security requirements continue to increase such as with new expectations for INSM. Cloud technology increasingly plays a role in supporting the business, analytics, security, and operations of these resources. As the industry becomes more acquainted with use of cloud, they are discovering applicable use cases where cloud can improve upon existing on-premises options to meet operational, security, and business objectives, particularly as they navigate the demands of the changing operational and regulatory landscape.

In this breakout session, a panel of representatives from NERC and AWS will discuss the current state of these technologies and the regulatory roadmap for the future including plans for security guidelines, standards revisions, and industry collaboration. Panelists will discuss how these technologies can be leveraged in a secure manner by outlining key operational and security considerations. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the implementation of these technologies and the paths forward to meet security and compliance obligations. As well, the panel with share insights on opportunities for industry involvement in shaping future guidance and regulatory requirements.