The forum focused on the ongoing development of a resiliency benchmarking program aimed at helping utilities assess, compare, and improve their investments and strategies in resilience. The effort, which has been in development for over two years, is structured around three key components: a benchmarking survey, a series of discussion forums, and the creation of an assessment tool. The goal is to establish a repeatable methodology that enables utilities to measure their progress in asset resilience, automation, and financial investment while also building a community for shared learning.
A central element of the discussion was the structured assessment of utility assets using a grading scale (1-3-9), which allows organizations to benchmark their infrastructure resilience against industry peers. Load shedding capabilities were another major topic, with a focus on defining levels of granularity and automation in executing controlled power reductions. The financial component of benchmarking was also highlighted, with the intent to establish a defensible framework for understanding capital expenditures on resiliency projects.
Participants engaged in discussions on key topics such as the impact of undergrounding infrastructure, critical customer definitions, and the growing importance of automation in modern grid reliability. Various event types, including extreme weather, cyberattacks, supply chain disruptions, and physical vandalism, were reviewed as part of the resiliency measurement framework. The importance of aligning investment strategies with regulatory expectations and leveraging benchmarking data for funding justifications was emphasized.
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