Ampyx Cyber Blog
The Intersection of Regulation & Resilience
Top 10 Computational Load Accountability Mapping Questions for Leaders
NERC's August 19, 2026 posting split the single Computational Load Entity concept into two registrations, Computational Load Owner and Computational Load Operator, and raised the thresholds to 50 MW and 100 kV. Ten questions that help leaders map who is responsible for the work and who is accountable for the outcome, before registration positions harden.
The Computational Load Entity Just Became Two
NERC's August 19 posting replaced the Computational Load Entity with two separate registrations, Computational Load Owner and Computational Load Operator, raised the thresholds to 50 MW and 100 kV, and moved the test for who is in scope into a new Site definition. What changed between April and August, who should be running the applicability test, and the eight questions to answer before the window closes.
The AI Reliability Boundary: A Black Hat Debrief for the Grid
Almost every conversation at Black Hat came back to AI, and almost every pitch assumed the answer to an AI problem is another product. In the grid, that assumption does not hold. Keirsten Brager's debrief on what the show floor missed, why governance is not a document, and why AI is not automatically out of scope for NERC's Critical Infrastructure Protection standards. It closes with the questions to answer before your next vendor demo.
What Is a Computational Load Entity?
A large AI data center used to be just a customer of the grid. On July 16, 2026, FERC changed that, directing NERC to create the Computational Load Entity, a new class of registered entity subject to mandatory federal reliability standards. A plain-English guide to what the category is and why it exists, and the anchor for the AI Reliability Boundary series.
ERO CMEP 2026: Oversight in the Age of Transformation
The Electric Reliability Organization’s (ERO) 2026 Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program Implementation Plan (CMEP) signals a new era in how risk-based oversight keeps pace with a rapidly transforming grid. Released in October, the plan refines NERC’s compliance priorities for the coming year, retiring Incident Response as a distinct risk element and introducing Grid Transformation as a central theme.
From Firefighting to Foresight: Building CIP Programs for the Future Power Grid
NERC calls grid reliability a “five-alarm fire.” With data centers, AI, and extreme weather straining capacity, CIP programs must evolve from reactive compliance to proactive resilience. This post outlines how utilities can strengthen controls, close documentation gaps, and build CIP programs ready for the future grid.
2025 RISC Report: Cybersecurity at the Center of Grid Reliability
The NERC 2025 RISC Report elevates cybersecurity to the core of grid reliability, alongside grid transformation, extreme events, interdependencies, and volatile energy policy. Unlike past reviews, this report is a forward-looking roadmap, urging modernization, cross-sector coordination, and resilience in a digitized, high-risk energy landscape.