UTC South Central Region 7 Meeting
Holiday Inn San Antonio Riverwalk
March 1 – 2, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Foyer
Meeting Registration
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Foyer
Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Tango 1-2
Welcome
David Wheeler, Manager, Communications Engineering, CPS Energy
8:45 – 9:30 a.m. Tango 1-2
UTC Leadership Report
Come hear from a member of UTC’s leadership team what’s going on with UTC. This is a great time for members and non-members alike to find out what UTC is doing and what is being planned. This presentation gives attendees a chance to ask questions and provide suggestions about the direction of UTC.
Troy West, General Manager - Technology & Corporate Services, Cleco Corporation Presentation
9:30 – 10:45 a.m. Tango 1-2
AMI/ Smart Grid Case Study
Cleco was awarded $20 Million from Federal Stimulus dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for a $72 million dollar Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in May 2010. The company intends to replace all 280,000 meters with RF smart meters by the July 2013 deadline; a full deployment begins mid-2012. Two AMI vendors were chosen to compete head to head for the Cleco contract by testing the AMI networks. An additional four requirements (meters, installation, MDMS and backhaul) to determine which would work on the project. The decision was decided in mid-2011. This session will cover the selection process.
Robert Mathews, Manager - Telecom Services, Cleco Corporation Presentation
10:45 – 11:00 a.m. Foyer
Networking Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Tango 1-2
Multi-Protocol Label Switching: Build it Once. Use it Many.
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a key technology for delivery of IP services. Discover the benefits and applications, get answers to basic technical questions on functionality, and learn the depth and breadth of MPLS solutions. You’ll also get an overview of MPLS applications such as virtual private networks (VPNs); traffic engineering; quality of service (QoS); operations administration and maintenance (OAM); and the security aspects of each solution.
Mike Prescher, Network Architect, Black & Veatch Presentation
12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Tango 1-2
UTC Texas-Louisiana-Arkansas Regional Meeting
Members of UTC’s South Central Region (Region 7) come together and discuss key issues related to the region.
12:30 – 2:30 p.m. Tango 3-4
Networking Lunch & Dedicated Networking Time with Exhibitors
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Tango 1-2
Cognitive Radio
Utilities are deploying automation and monitoring programs using wireless communications technologies at an exponentially increasing rate as they focus on improving system reliability and increasing their data metrics. As the demand for frequency channels increases in an increasingly scarce, and underutilized, spectrum market, the concept of cognitive radio has emerged as an exciting, spectral-efficient alternative. Cognitive Radio provides the ability to sense and adapt to the radio environment in real-time, improving the use of spectrum by reusing and sharing the frequency and avoiding interference with licensed or unlicensed co-channel users. This alteration of parameters is based on the actively monitoring several factors in the external and internal radio environment; such as radio frequency spectrum, user behavior and network state. The leading wireless vendors are beginning to develop products to advantage of this exciting emerging technology.
This session will educate attendees on the features, advantages, and benefits of cognitive radio as well as how these new cognitive radios compare to competing licensed and unlicensed radios.
Charles Plummer, Lead Communications Consultant, Power System Engineering, Inc. Presentation
3:30 – 3:45 p.m. Tango 3-4
Networking Break
3:45 – 5:15 p.m. Tango 1-2
UTC Legal/Regulatory Update
Find out what the UTC Legal/Regulatory team is doing in the spectrum arena, and hear the latest on issues relating to infrastructure as well as rights-of-way.
Mike Oldak, Vice President - Strategic Initiatives & General Counsel, Utilities Telecom Council Presentation
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Tango 3-4
Networking Reception
6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Boudro's Boardroom
Networking Dinner
Friday, March 2, 2012
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Foyer
Meeting Registration
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Foyer
Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Tango 1-2
Cyber Security and Utility Systems
From late 2010 through 2011, we have witnessed a stark increase in activities relating to SCADA vulnerability research, vulnerability disclosure and exploit weaponization. Although the typical exploit lifecycle is not new to the cyber security industry, the significant difference in recent events is that the cross hairs have zeroed in on SCADA and Industrial Control Systems that are vital to national critical infrastructure.
This educational presentation will provide an eye opening “year in review” of all of the hacking activities that transpired in the past year as it relates to SCADA and Industrial Control Systems. What are the main line defenses from cyber-attacks? What are utilities doing today?
Jonathan Pollet, Founder and Principal Consultant, Red Tiger Security Presentation
10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Foyer
Networking Break
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Tango 1-2
NERC-CIP Standards
This session will touch on the status of the NERC CIP standards, and the use of these standards to defend against cyber-attacks against electric and gas utilities. We will also cover what compliance “looks like,” and how it is being enforced and/or monitored.
The NERC Cyber Infrastructure Protection presentation will cover how a critical asset is determined today compared to tomorrow’s standard. It will be discussed how communications plays into the CIP program today and how NERC may be expanding their program and how communication links and equipment such as RTU play an important part in the CIP program.
Jerome Farquharson, Practice Manager, Burns & McDonnell Presentation
11:15 a.m. –12:15 p.m. Tango 1-2
An Overview of LTE
There is much talk today about how impressive Long Term Evolution is as a wireless broadband carrier technology, but what is it really? Can utilities actually deploy and operate it? How does it work? What frequencies can a utility use it in? How is the utility device ecosystem developing and what is out there today?
This presentation will explore the characteristics of LTE and provide an overview of the systems, architectures, radio spectrum, and devices of a utility-grade LTE network. The presenter will also provide a look at the devices that are available today, what is being developed, and the timeline the industry can expect to see for development of mission-critical utility equipment with the technology. Finally, the presenter will explore the various options for sharing systems with other entities (such as carriers, public safety etc,) and how to maintain priority of service, privacy and security of the utility's information.
Mark Madden, Regional Vice President - North American Utilities, Alcatel-Lucent Presentation
12:15 – 12:30 p.m. Tango 1-2
Wrap-Up and Adjournment
