12/10/2025 Member Representatives Committee Meeting Summary

1 – Call to Order

The meeting was called to order.

2 – Antitrust Admonition

Antitrust admonition was read for participants.
Participants were instructed to direct questions on antitrust policy to Texas RE’s general counsel.

3 – Approval of September 17, 2025 Meeting Minutes (Vote)

The meeting minutes from September 17, 2025 were presented for approval.
No revisions or discussions were noted.
The motion to approve the minutes passed unanimously with no abstentions.

4 – NERC BOT Meeting Update

The last NERC Board of Trustees meeting of the year was held virtually.
The board approved amendments and revisions to committee mandates and governance guidelines.
A new Engagement and Outreach Committee was created to coordinate between NERC and E-ISAC.
The Technology and Security Committee was retired and duties were reassigned to other committees.
The 2026 work plan priorities were approved as a bridge between the 2023 and 2027 plans.

2026 priorities include:

• Deepening reliability risk understanding
• Addressing risks with large loads
• Improving security threat resilience
• Industry and policymaker engagement
• Streamlining standards development
• Improving user data access

The board received an update from the Modernization of Standards Processes and Procedures task force, formed in February to improve standards development efficiency.
Draft recommendations for stakeholder comments were posted in October.
Outreach included in-person forums and presentations attended by over 5,000 participants since May.
A stakeholder webinar was scheduled for December 1 to review key changes to the draft recommendations.
Final recommendations are expected to be presented to the NERC board in February.
The next board meeting will be held in Savannah, Georgia in February.

5 – SAR-013 Revision to BAL-001-TRE-2 Update

An update on the SAR-013 project was provided.
The MRC previously approved a work product for a 45-day public comment period with a ballot in the last 15 days.
The comment and ballot period ran from September 22 to November 6.
Numerous comments were received, leading to a drafting team meeting on December 3.
The team reviewed about half of the comments and held substantial discussions.
Due to the volume and nature of comments, an additional ballot and comment period may be required.

The drafting team will meet again on December 12, with a possible additional meeting on December 16 if needed.
All meetings are open to the public.
Texas RE will provide another update to the MRC after comment review and revisions are completed.

6 – Special Topics

Two special topics were introduced (see sections 6.1 and 6.2).

6.1 – ERO Enterprise Internal Controls Assessment Consistency

Texas RE has been leading an extensive internal controls assessment project over the past two years.
The initiative was launched in response to CMEP workshop feedback post-COVID, encouraging greater emphasis on risk and internal controls rather than compliance-only approaches.
The project involves collaboration with WECC, FERC, and other ERO enterprise partners to improve consistency in workflows and strategic alignment.

Key themes included:

• More efficient communication across departments
• Strategic scoping focused on risk vs. full compliance scope
• Use of GRC tools and structured internal controls approaches
• Future CMEP IP and compliance oversight revisions to reduce focus on routine compliance activities
• Enhanced information sharing and risk aggregation across regions

Participants expressed strong support for the direction, emphasizing the value of leveraging existing information for risk-based scoping.
Outreach and communication were highlighted as critical for successful implementation over the next several years.

6.2 – BlackStarTx 2025: Exercise Overview

An overview was provided on BlackStarTx 2025, including scope, objectives, and lessons learned.
Discussion emphasized the importance of integrating state agencies and local jurisdictions in understanding BlackStart impacts.

Key discussion points included:

• Communication challenges during a grid blackout
• Need for more detailed operational plans (beyond strategic-only)
• Annual tabletop exercise requirements linked to Executive Order GA-49
• Geographic challenges of statewide disaster management
• Public messaging and misinformation risks
• Logistics and resource constraints for first responders during extended outages

Lessons learned:
Texas has strong disaster response frameworks but needs improvements in detailed planning.
Many participants lack familiarity with BlackStart scenarios.
Strong partnerships and joint information systems exist, but backup systems remain critical.
Understanding the severity and scope of BlackStart events continues to be a challenge.

Next steps:

• Complete the after-action report and governor’s report
• Initiate planning for the BlackStart 2026 exercise
• Expand engagement with stakeholders to refine strategies
• Improve local jurisdiction involvement and communication planning

7 – NSRF Update

Recent NSRF meeting updates were provided.
There was no NSRF meeting in December, with the next meeting scheduled for January.

Newly effective reliability standards (as of October 1) include EOP-12-3 and TOP-002-5.
Upcoming standards include PRC-012-2 and TPL-008-1.
High priority projects were lowered in priority and are pending FERC approval.
Supply chain risk management remains under monitoring.

Additional topics included:

• FERC filings on GO/GOP definitions and cold weather data collection
• Approval of IBR ride-through standards
• Closed session updates on ERCOT’s “fact two qualified change”
• Sharing industry audit experiences and best practices

Leadership updates included Brad Collard stepping back into chair duties and appointment of two vice chairs.
Commitment was reiterated to avoid future scenarios like Winter Storm Uri by ensuring safe conditions for operators and linemen families.
No attendee questions were noted.

8 – CIPWG Update

CIPWG met virtually on November 3 and in person on November 21 at Austin Energy.
The open session included an E-ISAC briefing and an FBI presentation on hacktivists.

Additional updates included:

• ERCOT’s future-ready identification transformation (provisioning and access credentials)
• Texas RE discussions on supply chain and event response topics
• Member questions on EACMS, BCSI, encryption, and CIP-014
• Chair and vice chair elections: Thomas Standifur (chair) and Danté Jackson (vice chair)
• INSM standard formatting updates to better align with other CIP standards

No new reports, guidelines, or white papers were reported.
Closed session included another E-ISAC briefing and continued FBI discussions.
Audit experiences and best practices were shared for quality checks.

9 – NERC Standing Committee Updates

NERC Standing Committee updates were introduced (see sections 9.1 and 9.2).

9.1 – NERC Reliability and Security Technical Committee

Recent elections and interconnection representative updates were reviewed.
David Grubbs and Venona Greaff were reelected, with Venona’s role shifting to representative for large electricity consumers.
A new ISO representative was appointed, with Drew Bosner stepping down.

The RSTC continues extensive work, with agendas, minutes, and presentations available on the NERC website.
The committee will play a major role in the MSPP project, particularly in technical standards development.
Future meeting schedules were highlighted, with plans extending into 2026.

9.2 – NERC Compliance and Certification Committee

The 2026 CCC Work Plan was approved in October and streamlined for readability.
It includes chapters on strategic planning, responsibilities, and deliverables and will be submitted to the NERC board for adoption in February.

Key discussion themes included:

• Entity registration understanding and implementation
• Platform improvements, consolidation, and collaboration successes
• Opportunities to improve clarity, risk alignment, communication, and education

An ERO Enterprise self-reporting training was led by a cross-regional group (SERC, WECC, MRO), covering enforcement background, noncompliance reporting, and practice scenarios.

2026 CCC meetings are planned for January (virtual), April, July, and October, with later locations still in development.
CCC membership highlights included Rob Robertson and Frank Owens, and NERC board approval of Daniela Hammons as CCC vice chair for 2026.
Future focus areas include improving charter and governance clarity.

10 – NERC Program Area Overview

Presenter: Joseph Younger

The presentation included acknowledgement of contributions by Chris Seaman and Trevor Tidwell to NSRF and CIPWG work.
Discussion covered the 2026 CMEP implementation plan, including risk prioritization, auditing, and outreach.

Five consistent risk elements were highlighted:

• Remote connectivity
• Supply chain
• Physical security
• Facility ratings
• Extreme weather response

Notable changes in the 2026 CMEP IP included:

• Consolidation of IBR and transmission planning into a single grid transformation risk element
• Removal of the incident response risk element

Additional updates included:

• New ERO enterprise guidance on abeyance process for noncompliance
• Abeyance approach for extreme cold weather temperature calculation under EOP-012 R1.1
• A tracking spreadsheet for compliance documentation available via CMAP resources
• Establishment of regional email boxes for abeyance submissions
• E-ISAC forum emphasis on cross-sector coordination for infrastructure protection
• Restoration priorities, emerging threats, and cross-government coordination

11 – Recognitions and Awards

Olivia Hemby was thanked for her contributions, particularly in communications during efforts like GridEx.
Appreciation was expressed for involvement and initiatives at state and local levels.

ERCOT’s recognition tradition includes the Texas RE “power player” award for exceptional service.
A new “Electric Reliability Champion Award” was introduced to recognize excellence in reliability and security.

Pete Warnken (ERCOT) received the inaugural Electric Reliability Champion Award for leadership in resource adequacy.
His work includes resource adequacy assessments, energy reliability analysis, and reliability standards collaboration.
The meeting concluded with recognition of Pete’s contributions and a reminder that effective communication remains a key takeaway.

13 – Adjourn Meeting

No other business was brought before the committee.
The meeting was adjourned.
Best wishes were extended for a great holiday season.