The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) opened its Spring Face-to-Face Meeting in Charlotte on March 20, 2012. The opening plenary session featured Dr. George Arnold, the overseer of the NIST Smart Grid effort. Dr. Arnold told the audience that NIST will continue to participate in the SGIP, regardless of the ultimate structure of the organization, citing mandates in the EISA 2007 legislation. Dr. Arnold was referring to the requirement that the SGIP transition to a sustainable, self-sufficient organization by 2013. The SGIP had created a working group to address this issue and has received a report on a variety of options from EnerNex, the SGIP administrator. Concerns from the audience included one from a utility that suggested that if the SGIP was going to charge dues for membership, it should make the fact known as soon as possible. The utility representation stated that utilities are beginning to create budgets for 2013 in the summer and SGIP membership fees may not make the budget, unless identified early. Dr. Arnold said he understood the concern and would make plans known as soon as possible.
A report from Don Sheflin, chair of the Smart Grid Federal Advisory Committee summarized the group’s report to NIST on the workings of the SGIP. Top recommendations included consolidate the disjointed treatment of cybersecurity issues related to the smart grid. Also cited was the need to strengthen state regulatory support for smart grid initiatives, implying that when states treat smart grid efforts in a wide variety of ways, it creates regulatory uncertainty that delays smart grid implementation. Other recommendations included the need for a consolidated communications plan for smart grid education and outreach. UTC will be blogging additional topics from this meeting over the next few days.

The Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) has ended its work in Priority Action Plan 18 (PAP18) with the addition of a best practices document to the SGIP catalog of standards. PAP18 deals with the Smart Energy Profile (SEP) used by a number of utility meters and home energy devices to communicate with one another. Read more »

The NIST Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP)has released version two of its Interoperability Process Reference Manual, with a guide to the process by which test laboratories and certifying organizations are accredited for evaluation of Smart Grid products. Utilities that are interested in smart grid interoperability testing, and the procedures recommended by NIST, should download the document as a reference.

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In an email to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Smart Grid Cybersecurity Working Group (CSWG), it was announced that the CSWG Testing and Certification subgroup has completed the draft SGIP document, “Guide for Assessing the High-Level Security Requirements in NISTIR 7628, Guidelines for Smart Grid Cyber Security.” The document provides a foundation to facilitate a security assessment based on the NISTIR 7628 high-level security requirements. The agency released the smart grid security guidelines in the NISTIR 7628 document in 2010, but some utilities have struggled with using the document in order to create real world security policies. This guide is written to provide a foundation to facilitate a security assessment based on the NISTIR 7628 high-level security requirements implemented within an effective risk management program. Read more »

The Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) Plenary Committee voted to add three new standards to the SGIP Catalog of Standards. According to the NIST website, “the Catalog is a compendium of standards and practices considered to be relevant for the development and deployment of a robust and interoperable Smart Grid.” NIST and the SGIP no longer recommend standards for adoption by regulators like Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  Instead, the agency has created the Catalog of Standards that allows regulators to review common standards when creating regulations and best practices.  Standards added to the catalog recently are IEEE C37.238, WS-Calendar Common Schedule Communication Mechanism and SAE 2847-1 Communication between Plug-in Vehicles and the Utility Grid. Read more »

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its Order on Smart Grid Interoperability Standards,and it has concluded that there is "insufficient consensus" on the initial five families of standards that were sent by NIST for FERC adoption in accordance with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.  Furthermore, the FERC encouraged stakeholders to actively participate in the NIST interoperability framework process to develop standards for interoperability and to refer to that process for guidance on smart grid standards.  Finally, FERC terminated its proceeding in docket RM11-2-000.

In reaching its conclusion not to institute a rulemaking proceeding to adopt the standards, the Commission agreed with comments that registered concerns about cyber security deficiencies and potential unintended consequences from premature adoption of individual standards.  The Commission did express its support for the NIST process and did encourage active participation by stakeholders, citing planned improvements to the NIST process including "an enhanced SGIP role in reviewing existing as well as new smart grid interoperability standards, the establishment of a preliminary testing process, the establishment of a process to identify cyber security design principles, and efforts to better address reliability and implementation concerns within the SGIP process."

For more information, contact the UTC Legal/Regulatory Department. 

A major step toward a standardized format for communicating actionable information on energy consumption to U.S. households has been achieved as the SGIP Governing Board voted to accept the third set of standards to emerge from the Priority Action Plan (PAP) teams.  The NAESB Energy Usage Information seed information model is the completed output for PAP 10.  The Board’s positive vote on January 28 signifies that these standards are now recommended for inclusion on the SGIP Catalog of Standards, where they will guide the development of an interoperable Smart Grid. Read more »

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified an initial set of five standards that it sent for consideration by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Technical Conference (FERC) for adoption as part of its Smart Grid Interoperability Roadmap. However, panelists at the FERC Technical Conference held today reported unanimously that the standards are not ready for adoption by the Commission.

One of the main issues identified during the meeting was the fact that many panelists said it was unclear what ‘adoption’ of the standards meant. For example, they were unsure if the standards, if adopted, would be made mandatory; and if so, would they be implemented right away. Dr. George Arnold, NIST’s National Coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability, put a call out to utilities to guide FERC by providing input on how they intend to use the standards, and to throw light on which standards they are using as they deploy the smart grid across their territories. Read more »

 The Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) has formed an Electromagnetic  Interoperability Issues WG group (EMII WG), prompted at least in part by questions Congress directed to NIST on how the smart grid will be impacted by the upcoming solar flares or an electromagnetic pulse attack. The purpose of the working group and the problem being solved was debated at the recent Grid Interop meeting in Chicago. Proponents of the effort believe that immunity standards are needed for the grid, similar to standards in the airline and medical equipment industries. Detractors feel equipment immunity to interference is an operational issue to be handled in the relationship between the vender and the utility.  Standards do directly impact interoperability and will only increase the cost of smart grid equipment. Read more »