A method for configuring a remote terminal unit with a central controller, the method comprising: receiving, by a central controller associated with a power system from a remote terminal unit, RTU, associated with a remote power substation, a message identifying a current status of the RTU; communicating, by the central controller to the RTU based upon an analysis of the received message, a request for configuration data associated with the RTU, wherein the analysis comprises determining that a configuration associated with the RTU has been altered based upon a comparison between a configuration identifier in the received message and a stored configuration identifier, receiving, by the central controller from the RTU in response to the request, the configuration data, wherein the configuration data include data associated with one or more substation devices in communication with the RTU; storing, by the central controller, the configuration data in a configuration queue for validation; determining, by the central controller, whether the configuration associated with the RTU is valid based at least in part on the configuration data; if the configuration associated with the RTU is not valid, then deleting from the configuration queue, the received configuration data; if the configuration associated with the RTU is valid, then updating, by the central controller based upon at least a portion of the received configuration data, a configuration database comprising information associated with the configuration of the RTU in order to facilitate supervisory control and data acquisition operations with the RTU by the central controller. receiving, by a central controller associated with a power system from a remote terminal unit, RTU, associated with a remote power substation, a message identifying a current status of the RTU; communicating, by the central controller to the RTU based upon an analysis of the received message, a request for configuration data associated with the RTU, wherein the analysis comprises determining that a configuration associated with the RTU has been altered based upon a comparison between a configuration identifier in the received message and a stored configuration identifier, receiving, by the central controller from the RTU in response to the request, the configuration data, wherein the configuration data include data associated with one or more substation devices in communication with the RTU; storing, by the central controller, the configuration data in a configuration queue for validation; determining, by the central controller, whether the configuration associated with the RTU is valid based at least in part on the configuration data; if the configuration associated with the RTU is not valid, then deleting from the configuration queue, the received configuration data; if the configuration associated with the RTU is valid, then updating, by the central controller based upon at least a portion of the received configuration data, a configuration database comprising information associated with the configuration of the RTU in order to facilitate supervisory control and data acquisition operations with the RTU by the central controller.