HUGHESVILLE, Md. (Nov. 17, 2008)—Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) reported today that they successfully met all of the requirements of a recent reliability audit. ReliabilityFirst conducted an off-site compliance audit of SMECO in September. ReliabilityFirst found SMECO to be in compliance with all of the applicable NERC standards and ReliabilityFirst regional standards that were audited.
Under the auspices of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), ReliabilityFirst is one of eight approved regional entities authorized to preserve and enhance electric service reliability and security for the inter-connected electric systems in its territory.
The objectives of the audit were to review and validate SMECO's compliance with applicable reliability standards and requirements regarding self-reported violations, self-certifications, and mitigation plans, and to document SMECO's compliance culture.
"This is the first audit of its kind for the Co-op," said SMECO President and CEO Austin J. Slater, Jr. "Meeting all the requirements of the audit is a very rewarding confirmation of our efforts to maintain the security and integrity of our electric system."
SMECO is registered for the NERC functions of Load Serving Entity and Distribution Provider, which set the parameters for the scope of the audit. The Co-op is subject to monitoring by ReliabilityFirst on a six-year basis. Through NERC, ReliabilityFirst was given the authority to establish and enforce reliability standards for affected companies operating in 13 states, including Washington, D.C.
Source: SMECO