Conference Grid

Nature has a way of continuously challenging our operations. This session will explore methods of “weathering the storm.” Learn resiliency lessons from the aftermath of the 2015 California Valley Fire, and hear how hurricane responses have changed after Hurricanes Katrina, Ike and Rita.

Cybersecurity breaches are regularly making headlines, and the energy sector is a prime target. Staff at all levels in power generating companies need to stay up to date with the latest threats, requirements, and best practices for protecting essential assets. This session will start with the “must do”: an update on how to strategize for compliance with the latest North American Electric Reliability Corp. Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) standards, followed by details on building a compliance program and preparing for an audit. Beyond the regulatory requirements lie a host of other threats. To build resilience in the face of often unknown threats, this session will also explore how to build a layered defense cybersecurity program.

The reliability of a system depends on many factors, of which design is one of the most significant. As power plants add systems to meet regulatory or code requirements, the design becomes more significant.

Remaining resilient in a crisis, such as an oil spill or cascading event, depends on many factors. This session will explore how pre-planning, drills, and a robust response help mitigate the impact of man-made disasters.

Loss control focuses on risk mitigation practices to reduce the possibility of failure or to minimize the impact if failure occurs. The ability to recover from system disruptions depend on many factors, and this session will provide insights on lessons learned from emergency response, risk concepts as they apply to managing human performance and the latest systems accepted by major international gas turbine manufacturers and insurers.

This session will look at the collaborative efforts that should be employed by the utilities and the members of the law enforcement community. It will serve to dispel some of the myths and focus on what is plausible in terms of keeping the infrastructure safe through training, drill facility design and security initiatives.

Whether in response to state or federal agency mandates, or local desires for emergency preparedness, microgrids are slowly becoming mainstream. This session will look at the range of generation options for microgrids, where they are being deployed, and why. It will also explore new technologies being used to integrate variable renewable generation sources into microgrids. Although microgrids have traditionally been developed by large campus-type energy users, utilities are beginning to see how they can be a valuable aspect of resource planning.