Within the MRO footprint, over 28 million people depend on a reliable electric grid to sustain and enrich their lives. The grid is undergoing a transformation in all facets, adding operational complexity and driving risk. MRO’s Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) identifies and prioritizes reliability and security risks within the MRO footprint. Developed with input from industry experts, the MRO RRA serves as the foundation for developing actions to ensure effective and efficient mitigation of top risks.

The 2026 RRA highlights continued uncertainty in the availability of generation resources to meet rapidly growing demand, driven in particular by large loads like data centers. This, coupled with the transformation of the generation fleet to include more inverter-based resources, which respond differently to grid disturbances than traditional generators, threatens reliable grid operation and planning. Physical and cyber security threats, particularly from actors supported by foreign adversaries, create an ever-changing risk environment with the intent to disrupt system operations. Urgent action is needed to address these risks and ensure a highly reliable and secure North American electric grid. 

To prepare for the discussion, we encourage you to review the 2026 RRA Executive Summary.

This webinar will review the process used to develop the RRA, provide an overview of the top seven risks to the MRO region, and highlight prudent actions to address these risks. Ample time will be allocated for attendees to ask questions regarding the RRA results.  

Speakers

Mark Tiemeier

Director of Power System Risk Management

Midwest Reliability Organization

Lee Felter

Principal Risk Strategy Engineer

Midwest Reliability Organization