Two important resources that every entity should review and keep on hand are the NERC Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program (CMEP) Annual Implementation Plan and its associated ERO Enterprise Data Submittal Schedule. Last week NERC posted the 2021 versions of these documents on the One-Stop Shop (Compliance Monitoring & Enforcement Program) page of its website.
NERC’s Rules of Procedure require that the CMEP Implementation Plan be developed annually. This plan is used by NERC and the Regions to carry out monitoring and enforcement activities and provides Registered Entities with the risk elements and areas of focus that they have identified.
Last year NERC changed its approach and worked with the Regions in a collaborative effort to streamline the CMEP. They found this approach to be effective and have used it for the 2021 document as well. The 2021 CMEP also includes information regarding the pandemic effects on CMEP activities. As you’re aware, many activities were either deferred or conducted remotely in order to keep workforces safe and the lights on. During 2021, NERC and the Regions will continue to evaluate circumstances and will determine if there is a need to provide extensions or additional guidance to the industry. On-site activities will resume when conditions allow.
The Periodic Data Submittal Schedule provides a consolidate list of data submittals that will be required throughout the year. This list includes submittals required by applicable Reliability Standards, the Compliance Enforcement Authority (NERC or the Regions), or as-needed. The purpose of the schedule is to provide Registered Entities with a consistent list among all Regions. Keep in mind, though, that NERC and the Regions may also request data or information that is not included on the schedule. In order to make sure you received notifications of upcoming submittals, it’s important to remember to keep your contact information up to date in the various portals where data is submitted. That contact information is used by NERC and the Regions to send notifications when data or information is requested.
Keeping up to date on compliance responsibilities and activities associated with NERC Reliability Standards can be an overwhelming task. Having resources to monitor standards activities and manage your program to meet the constantly changing requirements, along with having a team of compliance professionals to assist you can definitely alleviate the stress associated with these activities. Proven Compliance Solutions Inc. (PCS) has been providing NERC Reliability Standards compliance consulting services for over ten years and has been at the forefront of helping our clients achieve successful outcomes for their audits and other compliance monitoring activities. We also offer our Standards Compliance Intelligence Portal (SCIP), which is an effective and efficient solution that provides you and your team with a tool to monitor and manage the constantly changing regulatory requirements that are applicable to your NERC registrations. SCIP is a user-friendly application developed and managed by the Reliability Compliance professionals at PCS.
For more information on how we can assist your organization with its NERC compliance needs, contact Dale Zahn at dzahn@provencompliance.com or (262) 436-4116. To learn more about Proven Compliance Solutions Inc., visit our website at www.provencompliance.com.
