NRECA Essence 3.0
Doug Lambert
In 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) recognized the pressing need for a complete cybersecurity solution for the vulnerabilities of our nearly 900 electric cooperatives. Since then, Essence has been built from the ground up, by a world-class development team on behalf of NRECA and its co-ops.
Essence provides robust early warning system for the broader critical infrastructure community, essential for cybersecurity and operating engineers to protect both OT and IT systems against unknown, emerging threats and elevates cyber awareness for coordinated response for internal and external stakeholders via secure information-sharing techniques.
Effective Methods for Constructability Surveys and Performing Makeready Assessment
Ron Bilodeau
The presentation will cover the current state of broadband funding and deployments, the code requirements for the attachment of fiberoptic cables to utility poles and provide an understanding of makeready engineering and present an overview of a pole loading analysis report.
Ron Bilodeau is a Director Strategic Solutions – Technical Services with Osmose Utilities Services. Ron has more than 40 years of experience in both telecommunication construction and electric utility operations management. Ron earned an MBA and has a BA in Communications and Management from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, he received a Graduate Certificate in Renewable Energy from the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada Reno. Ron teaches Business Classes at the College of Southern Nevada and is a Certified Project Management Professional. In his role he provides solutions and recommendations to the utility and broadband industries on a wide-ranging scope of requirements including structural resiliency, joint use, broadband buildout and wireless attachment and collocation programs and processes.
DNS Filtering, Why It's Important
Ben Story, RedEye Networks Solutions
NERC Compliant Substation Hardening, Access Controls and Security Cameras
Andrew Pertoline, Utilitra
We delve into the intersection of Design, Construction, and Technology to revolutionize security and operational efficiency. Our focus is on NERC Compliance & Reporting, ensuring that all protocols meet the highest standards of reliability and safety. We introduce a Unified Platform that seamlessly integrates License Plate Recognition (LPR), Access Control, and Surveillance, offering a holistic approach to site security. Join us to explore how these integrated solutions are setting new benchmarks in operational excellence and security.
Zero Trust Architecture and Addressing the Rising Threat of Ransomware
Cam Grigsby, VDA Labs
In this session, one will learn about microgrids, why they are relevant, and where they are applicable. The challenges of creating a microgrid control solution will be addressed along with how these systems will help optimize the lifetime and efficiency of DERS. The question of “How can microgrid commissioning be simplified via Hardware In the Loop (HIL) testing?” will be answered as well!
Microgrids
Nathan Leonard and Angelos Kokkinis
In this session, one will learn about microgrids, why they are relevant, and where they are applicable. The challenges of creating a microgrid control solution will be addressed along with how these systems will help optimize the lifetime and efficiency of DERS. The question of “How can microgrid commissioning be simplified via Hardware In the Loop (HIL) testing?” will be answered as well!
Bird and Animal Guard at Substations
Darren Barker
Our focus is keeping wildlife off the equipment negating the need for other more expensive & less reliable ways of protection the entire substation. Solutions for Keeping Birds, Nests, Guano & crawling Animals out of the substation. (Featuring Lasers).
DHS CISA Update, Risk Assessments, and Cyber Performance Goals (CPG)
Tony Collings, Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
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Is Modeling Software Properly Handling Winter Peak Voltage Drop? A Real World Case Study
Adam Toth, Toth and Associates
WindMil has two options for OH conductor resistance temperature, 25°C and 50°C. A case study was performed to see if using 25°C during winter peaks is a good estimation, or if a different temperature would provide more accurate analysis results. This case study utilizes real-time meter demand and voltage data and compares actual recorded meter voltages to WindMilcalculated voltages. The results conclude whether 25°C is an accurate temperature to use for winter peak voltage drop calculations versus using a different conductor operating temperature.
EV Stations and the Importance of On-Site EV Charger Testing
Ravi Gupta and Shahryar Farhang, Megger
Demystifying Nmap: A Practical Workshop for Beginners
Casey O’Brien, University of Illinois
Nmap, short for “Network Mapper, is a free and open-source utility network scanning tool used for network discovery, security auditing, and network inventory. Network and system administrators use Nmap for a variety of tasks including network discovery, port scanning, software and OS version detection, network inventory, vulnerability assessment, security auditing, firewall testing, network performance optimization, and scriptable interaction with a target system. It turns out, attackers use Nmap in the same ways. It was designed to rapidly scan large networks but works fine against single hosts. Nmap runs on all major computer operating systems, and both console and graphical versions are available.
This breakout session will introduce the participant to Nmap, including how to get help, and carry out a few, common network scans.
Casey W. O’Brien is the Assistant Director for Cyber Defense Education and Training with the Information Trust Institute in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Casey has more than 25 years of large-scale information security and IT engineering, implementation, and management experience in challenging and cutting-edge public and private sector environments.
Dissolving Gases in Oil; Testing for Transformers
Melissa Zajaz, Double Engineering
This is the single most important diagnostic test for transformers. This presentation reviews how to take a proper sample, how the test is performed, how to distinguish between normal gassing behavior and problems, and how to evaluate trends.A few case studies will also be provided.