LCRA general manager highlights transmission resilience work, cites GRIDEX tabletop exercise

Phil Wilson, general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority, told the board on Dec. 23 that the authority has stepped up efforts to harden transmission systems and test incident response after the LCRA Transmission Service Corporation hosted a Transmission Resilience Summit this year and staff participated in the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s GRIDEX exercise.

Wilson began by commending employees who planned and presented at the Transmission Resilience Summit, naming program leaders and panelists involved in the event. He said the summit aimed to share risk information, update resilience efforts and “participat[e] in improvement initiatives,” and he asked employees who helped to stand and be recognized.

Wilson described GRIDEX as “the largest grid security exercise in North America,” organized by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation to let utilities and partner agencies practice response to coordinated cyber and physical incidents. “This exercise was a valuable responsibility to enhance our readiness, spread awareness of our plans, and identify areas for improvement,” Wilson said. He thanked resilience staff including Mitch Hibbs and Mario Chapa for planning the exercise and praised the organization’s response under intense, layered scenarios that included simulated tornadoes, fires, explosions and cyberattacks.

Wilson framed the drills as part of routine preparedness: “It was a tabletop exercise, but to be like a athlete or musician, you play like you practice. And we practice really hard,” he said, adding that the exercises test the authority’s people and systems and help reveal improvements.

The update did not include new policy changes, funding requests, or formal board actions tied to resilience work; Wilson’s remarks focused on recognition of staff, interagency coordination, and lessons learned from the exercises. The board did not take any vote during the update.

Looking ahead, Wilson said the exercises and summit findings will inform ongoing resilience efforts and implementation work across transmission and critical infrastructure protection teams.