Regulatory mandates at the State and Federal level continue to increase every year. NERC/FERC, TRE, ERCOT, PUCT, EPA and other agencies require electric utilities to report and be in compliance with numerous regulatory, environmental and operational standards and requirements.
Schneider Engineering, LLC provides Clients with a cost-effective service that tracks all applicable regulatory standards, requirements and deadlines, provides representation at meetings, and prepares required filings. We achieve this by offering the following services:
- NERC Reliability Compliance Documentation
- NERC Audit Support
- Client Studies and Gap Analysis
- Compliance Programs
- Electric System Emergency Operations Plans (EOP)
- Spill Prevention Control / Countermeasure Plans (SPCC)
- Standards and Procedures Development
- Ongoing Document / Records Management
- Briefings and Training Sessions
- Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) Support
We know how to cut through the large amount of information and focus on the specific requirements that have real implications for our Clients.
AGENCY TRACKING AND COMPLIANCE SUPPORT (ATCS)
Schneider Engineering provides Regulatory Tracking and Compliance Support services designed to address regulatory compliance issues and tasks in a proactive and timely manner. Our Regulatory team tracks and monitors regulatory issues and provides reliability compliance support for enlisted Clients.
Some of the recurring and non-recurring tasks include:
- Monitoring NERC, FERC, TRE, ERCOT, PUCT, EPA, and other relevant websites as well as any other public information sources in order to track the status of updates to existing standards and the development of new standards and requirements.
- Provide monthly “Regulatory Watchdog Bulletin” along with other written briefs as needed regarding emerging regulatory compliance issues.
- Review emerging issues. Jointly determine whether individual issues require no action, further monitoring, or immediate action.
- Review all mandatory DP and LSE standards and requirements and provide updates to DP and LSE “Playbooks” as needed. Annual Playbooks contain compliance positions and documentation for all registrations.
- Maintain and update NERC Compliance Program (NCP). The annual NCP provides overall reliability compliance roadmap and includes reliability compliance policies and procedures, along with roles and responsibilities for reliability compliance.
- Provide training to the reliability compliance team as needed. Training is designed for managers, SME’s, operations personnel, and other personnel on an annual or as-needed basis.
- Assist with monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting and submittals to TRE / NERC.
- Assist with executing annual self-certification information upload through the Texas RE electronic portal.
- Coordinate NERC Alert responses
AUDIT SUPPORT
Schneider Engineering’s audit support services include the development of comprehensive audit support packages tailored for both Municipal-owned (MOUs) and Electric Cooperatives (CO-OPs). By using our “playbook” based compliance management approach, we help MOUs or CO-OPs develop positions on the applicable standards, assemble evidence to support these positions, and provide representation during audit proceedings. Our audit support services include, but are not limited to:
- Initial data information gathering
- Preliminary alignment of function to reliability standards
- Initial working meeting
- Prepare reliability standard audit worksheet (RSAW) submittal
- Follow-up questions and information requests
- Coordinate resources and participate in combo audit as subject-matter expert
- Finalize compliance playbook
- Develop comprehensive compliance program