[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 182 (Friday, September 18, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58338-58339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20587]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket Number: 200911-0239]


Draft NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability 
Standards, Release 4.0

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
seeks comments on the Draft NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid 
Interoperability Standards, Release 4.0. This document is available 
online at: https://www.nist.gov/el/smart-grid/smart-grid-framework.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 
November 2, 2020. Written comments in response to this Request for 
Comments (RFC) should be submitted according to the instructions in the 
ADDRESSES and SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION sections below. Submissions 
received after that date may not be considered.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be sent to the Smart Grid and Cyber 
Physical Systems Program Office, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8200, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-
8200 or by email at [email protected]. Comments containing 
references, studies, research, and other empirical data that are not 
widely published should include copies of the referenced materials.
    All submissions, including attachments and other supporting 
materials, will become part of the public record and subject to public 
disclosure. NIST reserves the right to publish relevant comments, 
unedited and in their entirety. All relevant comments received in 
response to the RFC will be made publicly available at https://www.nist.gov/el/smart-grid/smart-grid-framework. Personal information, 
such as account numbers or Social Security numbers, or names of other 
individuals, should not be included. Do not submit confidential 
business information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. 
Comments that contain profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other 
inappropriate language or content will not be considered.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Cuong Nguyen, Smart Grid and 
Cyber-Physical Systems Program Office, National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8200, Gaithersburg, MD 
20899-8200; telephone 301-975-2254, fax 301-948-5668; or via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1305 of the Energy Independence and 
Security Act (EISA) of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-140) directs NIST ``to 
coordinate the development of a framework that includes protocols and 
model standards for information management to achieve interoperability 
of smart grid devices and systems.'' To meet these statutory goals, in 
January 2010, NIST published the NIST Framework and Roadmap for

[[Page 58339]]

Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 1.0 (Release 1.0), and 
in February 2012, NIST published the NIST Framework and Roadmap for 
Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 2.0 (Release 2.0), which 
updated the material discussed in Release 1.0. The most recent update 
of the framework, Release 3.0, was released in 2014 and introduced new 
interoperability requirements among the generation, distribution, and 
customer domains.
    NIST now announces publication of the Draft NIST Framework and 
Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 4.0 (Draft 
Release 4.0) for public review and comment. Draft Release 4.0 is 
available online at: https://www.nist.gov/el/smart-grid/smart-grid-framework.
    Draft Release 4.0 is a substantial revision of previous releases to 
address structural changes and increasing system complexity in the 
grid. This release includes a description of communications scenarios 
inspired by different grid architectures, which are used to more 
closely examine unique interoperability requirements. The 
interoperability implications of expanding grid communications in four 
key areas--grid cybersecurity, operations, economics, and associated 
requirements for testing and certification--are also explored.
    Draft Release 4.0 reflects changes taking place in the grid, 
including the accelerating pace of technological change, rapidly 
falling prices for modern energy technologies such as solar 
photovoltaic (PV) and other distributed energy resources (DER), 
increased proliferation of low-cost sensors and network enabled 
devices, and the resulting surge in granularity and amount of data 
being generated. The issues surrounding empowered consumers, the 
coordination of tens of thousands of devices operating across the 
system, and multi-directional power flows are also considered.
    Request For Comments:
    NIST seeks comments on the Draft NIST Framework and Roadmap for 
Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 4.0. In particular, the 
agency requests that comments be categorized as (1) technical; (2) 
editorial; or (3) general. If a comment is not a general comment, 
please identify the relevant page, line number, and section of Draft 
Release 4.0 that is addressed by the comment. NIST will also accept 
proposed solutions along with the comments. Comments should be 
submitted in accordance with instructions in the DATES and ADDRESSES 
sections of this notice. All relevant responses that comply with the 
requirements listed in the DATES and ADDRESSES sections of this RFC 
will be considered.

    Authority: Section 1305 of the Energy Independence and Security 
Act (EISA) of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-140)

Kevin A. Kimball,
Chief of Staff.
[FR Doc. 2020-20587 Filed 9-17-20; 8:45 am]
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