ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association was recently selected to negotiate two contracts for $5 million in federal infrastructure funding to further strengthen the cybersecurity posture of electric cooperatives. The funds will be administered by DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response Program (CESER) through the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity (RMUC) program.
The two projects will help increase access to grid security training and improve peer-to-peer information sharing among rural utilities. These new NRECA programs will engage over 400 cooperatives from across the country.
“As cybersecurity threats evolve, it is critical that electric cooperative tools and training stay ahead of them,” said NRECA CEO Jim Matheson. “Electric co-ops work together to identify and manage growing threats, promote continuous improvement and develop solutions that keep the electric grid secure. This funding will play an important role in ensuring co-ops have the tools they need to better protect their systems and member information.”
The Trusted Industrial Control Cybersecurity Community – Threat Analysis Center (TICCC-TAC) project will work with participating utilities to expand and strengthen peer-to-peer information sharing, mutual assistance and cybersecurity expertise. The project will be hosted by the NRECA Threat Analysis Center (TAC), a secure platform designed to provide comprehensive threat analysis, information sharing and community collaboration to support the unique needs of rural electric utilities.
The Strategic Program for Advancing Rural Knowledge (SPARK) program will address the most pressing cybersecurity skillset challenges rural utilities face. It will implement low- and no-cost high-impact training targeting the most critical gaps of under-resourced utilities. The program also will facilitate peer-to-peer information sharing to enhance opportunities for learning and growth and improve grid resilience.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national trade association representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape. As local businesses built by the consumers they serve, electric cooperatives have meaningful ties to rural America and invest $15 billion annually in their communities.
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