The Department of Energy’s (DoE) Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) announced this week the allocation of $45 million for 16 projects aimed at developing new technologies to prevent cyberattacks and reduce energy disruptions from cyber incidents.
Organizations across six states were selected to help develop new cybersecurity tools designed to reduce cyber risks and strengthen the resilience of America’s energy systems, which include the power grid, electric utilities, pipelines, and renewable energy generation sources like wind or solar.
“DOE is committed to strengthening the nation’s energy sector, including protecting it against current or emerging cyber threats that would threaten Americans’ access to secure, reliable energy,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a Feb. 26 statement. “With today’s announcement, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping help teams across the country develop innovative next-generation cybersecurity solutions for tackling modern day challenges.”
The 16 projects of DoE’s Cyber Research, Development, and Demonstration Funding Opportunity – originally announced in May – span across six topic areas, such as automated cyberattack prevention and mitigation and security and resiliency by design.
For example, the Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, Calif., was selected to develop an advanced AI and data processing capability to detect and respond to cybersecurity incidents in control system endpoints at the grid edge.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville will research, develop, and demonstrate a zero trust authentication mechanism with post-quantum cryptography to reduce the cyber-physical security risks to distributed energy resources devices and networks.
“Cyber attacks can cause significant disruption to the reliable flow of energy to American homes, businesses, and communities,” the department said. “This investment will address a wide range of current and emerging cyber threats facing energy systems from generation through delivery.”
In support of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, last month the DoE announced a new $70 million research and funding opportunity – the All-Hazards Energy Resilience program – to help advance next-generation innovations that strengthen the resilience of America’s energy systems.
