CAISO to Discontinue TLS 1.0/1.1 Support for RIGs

To our valued clients,

You may have recently seen the following email from CAISO:

You are receiving this notice as a contact regarding the RIG Device – IRGXXX. In accordance with the CAISO BPM for Direct Telemetry Revision (PRR #1310) posted, there are new communication security requirements.

Per our records, the RIG is reporting Real Time Telemetry via ECN/ANIRA. As of 6/30/2022 TLS 1.0 and 1.1 will no longer be supported. Please make necessary arrangements in order to Update the TLS Version of your device to TLS 1.2

Please schedule a RIG Maintenance/Troubleshooting appointment via the EDAS Request Tool once changes/updates are ready to be verified with the CAISO. In the Description of Work field, include the verbiage ‘TLS Update’. Refer to the Fieldwork Guide for detailed instructions on submitting an appointment request.

The EDAS Request Tool and Fieldwork Guide can be found on the Metering and Telemetry website at: http://www.caiso.com/participate/Pages/MeteringTelemetry/Default.aspx

If so, here’s a brief rundown:

Per CAISO’s recent changes to their Business Practice Manual (BPM) regarding telemetry requirements (PRR #1310), all Remote Intelligent Gateways (RIGs) must now include the TLS 1.2 security feature in order to remain compliant. RIGs that are running older versions of TLS will no longer operate with CAISO’s Energy Management System (EMS) and must be upgraded or replaced by June of 2022.

What is TLS?

A bit of background: Transport Layer Security refers to a family of encryption protocols that are used to establish secure communication between devices. Essentially, TLS acts as an additional layer on top of other protocols, such as HTTP/HTTPS.

TLS and its predecessor, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), were developed in the 1990s, and were widely adopted by web browsers, communications systems, and other applications. However, due to increased vulnerability to more sophisticated cyberattacks, older versions of TLS/SSL are being abandoned. Some of the biggest names in the tech industry jointly announced their intention to drop TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 by the end of 2020.

How Will This Affect My Operations?

CAISO has announced their intention to discontinue use of TLS 1.0/1.1 starting on June 30, 2022.

Any RIGs that have not migrated to TLS 1.2 by that date will be unable to participate in the CAISO market.

What Should I Do?

If you have a Trimark RIG that is covered by a Trimark Operations Center (TOC) Services Agreement, our technical staff will be able to make the changes required by CAISO to ensure your site’s continued compliance. Please reach out to the TOC at TOC@trimarkassoc.com to discuss next steps.

If you have a Trimark RIG that is not covered by a Services Agreement, you will first need to enter into one. Contact the TOC to discuss coverage and pricing options. A Services Agreement is sold with the TLS 1.2 RIG upgrade and is required.

If you do not have a Trimark RIG, we believe replacing your current RIG hardware is your best option. Given the wide range of RIG models, specifications, and the fact that many RIGs are incompatible with TLS 1.2, this will be significantly more cost-efficient than other solutions.

For non-Trimark RIG replacements, please reach out to our Business Development team at BDTeam@trimarkassoc.com to receive a RIG replacement quote. (As previously stated, an additional Services Agreement with the TOC is required.) We are offering attractive pricing for new RIGs combined with a Services Agreement.

IMPORTANT: As there is bound to be a significant backlog of new RIGs for CAISO to approve, we recommend addressing this issue as soon as possible. Otherwise, your sites will be at risk of extended periods of non-operation within the CAISO network.