Renewing The Mandate To Safeguard The Energy Grid

Three main regions constitute the U.S. energy grid: the Texas Interconnected System, the Western Interconnection, which spans the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountain states, and the Eastern Interconnection, which serves states east of the mountains.

The Grid, an essential piece of infrastructure, consists of a network of over 7,000 power plants connected by hundreds of thousands of miles of high-voltage transmission lines. According to estimates, there are thousands of power-generating units and 70,000 transformer power substations.

Even with the addition of automation and emerging technologies recently, the grid still relies heavily on older tech. 60% of circuit breakers are older than 30 years, while 70% of transmission lines are at least 30 years old, meaning they are nearing the end of their useful lifespans.

As a result of the aging infrastructure and rising power consumption, the Grid is now more vulnerable to cascading failures, in which the failure of one component triggers a chain reaction of failures.

The growth and expansion of data centers in itself is straining the Grid. Research by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the Department of Energy shows that data centers’ power consumption has tripled in the last ten years and may triple again by 2028. John Moura, Director of Reliability Assessment and System Analysis for the North American Electricity Reliability Corporation (NERC) told Reuters that the grid is not built to handle the loss of 1,500-megawatt data centers as they get larger and use more electricity. "Unless we add additional grid resources, it will eventually grow too big to handle."

The fundamental truth is that the infrastructure of the US power grid is too outdated to handle the new era of data and growing computational needs. It is also highly susceptible to cyberattacks, EMP, natural disasters, and physical threats, all of which could have disastrous results. The reality of the ecosystem is that the Grid is essential for medical care, food and agriculture, water, data centers, telecommunications, stock exchanges, satellite ground systems, and other important infrastructure.

RISKS TO THE GRID

The power grid faces a wide range of risks. EMPs from geomagnetic solar flares, short-range missiles fired by terrorists or nation-states, cyberattacks, or physical attacks on utilities or power facilities are all examples of the risk landscape.

Solar flares, which originate from storms on the Sun, constitute a persistent menace. Earth is believed to have experienced more than 100 solar storms in the last 150 years. Strong flares release particles of electromagnetic radiation that are aimed toward Earth and other planets in the solar system. The size of the flare, the scale of the coronal mass ejection, and the speed at which it moves from the Sun to Earth all affect how severe a solar storm is. The electrical grid can sustain serious damage from a type of flare known as an X-class flare. It is impossible to overlook the risk.

An EMP attack could also be directed. An EMP strike could be carried out by a terrorist organization or rogue state that detonated a nuclear bomb far above the atmosphere, destroying electronics and the electrical grid.

Former CIA Director James Woolsey testified before a House committee and said that if the US received an EMP attack, “two-thirds of the US population would likely perish from starvation, disease, and societal breakdown.”

"Natural EMP from a geomagnetic superstorm, like the 1859 Carrington Event or 1921 Railroad Storm, and nuclear EMP attack from terrorists or rogue states, as practiced by North Korea during the nuclear crisis of 2013, are both existential threats that could kill 9 of 10 Americans through starvation, disease, and societal collapse," said the late Dr. Peter Pry, executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security and a member of the Congressional EMP Commission.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which acknowledges that hackers have targeted US public utilities control systems, partially protects The Grid. Many of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) networks used by power companies to manage their industrial systems need to be updated and strengthened to withstand the increasing dangers of cybersecurity.

The Russian cyberattack against Ukraine's power grid, which left 700,000 people without power, served as a reminder of the vulnerabilities in the electric grid. Countries need to step up their efforts to prevent cyberattacks on nuclear and other energy systems, according to the World Energy Council. They observe that the frequency, complexity, and expenses of data breaches are rising. The whole U.S. power system and other vital infrastructure might be taken down by a cyberattack launched by multiple nations, according to retired Admiral Mike Rodgers, a former leader of the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command.

A successful ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline in 2021 offered insight into that vulnerability and the numerous attack points. In addition to disrupting the oil supply of the US East Coast, the attackers showed that there was no cybersecurity structure in place for event response and preparation.

The majority of the vital infrastructure components of the U.S. energy grid now function in an internet-accessible digital environment. The trends of hardware and software integration, along with the expansion of networked sensors, are redefining hackers’ opportunities for surface attacks.

Both industry and the government have identified the vulnerabilities for cyberattacks. The U.S. energy grid is susceptible to cyberattacks, according to the General Accounting Office (GAO). The grid distribution systems, which transport power from transmission systems to customers, have become increasingly vulnerable, according to the GAO, partly because of the growing capabilities of technologies that enable remote access and linkages to business networks. Threat actors might be able to access those systems as a result, thereby interfering with operations.

The reality is that artificial intelligence tools are enabling increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. Criminal groups, state actors, and other entities are also targeting energy-critical infrastructure. The use of operational technology and the industrial internet of things has increased the attack surface. To combat cyber risks, energy infrastructure operators should use "security by design." Building agile systems with operational cyber-fusion is required by design for cybersecurity to monitor, identify, and react to new threats. Ultimately, we need to enhance the cybersecurity of the U.S. energy grid.

Another worry is the physical threat posed to the Grid by malevolent acts, particularly by terrorists. A bomb and an incendiary device placed atop a 50,000-gallon fuel tank were used to target and assault a power facility in Nogales, Arizona, a decade ago. Fortunately, the endeavor was unsuccessful. Recently, other terrorist acts by extremist groups have targeted utilities with gunfire and bomb threats.

Strategies To Help Protect the Grid

There are various ways to lessen threats to the energy infrastructure from physical, existential, and cyber sources. These include spreading out energy sources and using smaller, independent networks; systems to stabilize voltage and devices to manage energy flow; setting better security rules, training, and emergency plans; protecting the grid from power surges and voltage issues; and creating ways to share information about weaknesses and threats. To restore power for various emergencies, systematic resilience planning is also essential.

For instance, we should upgrade and replace outdated infrastructure with cutting-edge technology like automation systems, smart meters, and sensors to improve grid efficiency and dependability. Additionally, we should set up independent microgrids on a smaller scale, which can function independently or in tandem with the main grid, to supply localized electricity during emergencies or outages.

Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated thanks to artificial intelligence tools. Additionally, governmental actors, criminal gangs, and other assailants are targeting vital infrastructure related to energy. Operators of energy infrastructure should use "security by design" to combat cyber threats since connectivity brought about by the introduction of operational technology and the industrial internet of things has further increased the attack surface. For cybersecurity to be able to monitor, identify, and react to new threats, it is necessary to construct agile systems with operational cyber-fusion. Ultimately, we need to significantly improve the cybersecurity of the U.S. energy grid to withstand growing threats.

The threat of an EMP is existential and will require more planning and resilience.

President Trump signed Executive Order (E.O.) 13865, “Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses,” on March 26, 2019, making it a national priority program to set resilience and security standards for vital infrastructure in the United States.

E.O. 13865 states, “An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) has the potential to disrupt, degrade, and damage technology and critical infrastructure systems. Human-made or naturally occurring EMPs can affect large geographic areas, disrupting elements critical to the nation’s security and economic prosperity, and could adversely affect global commerce and stability. The federal government must foster sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective approaches to improving the nation’s resilience to the effects of EMPs.” Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Programs Status Report

In an article, “Cost Analysis: Protecting The Grid and Electronics from EMP,” the authors proposed that a National Resilience Task Force, supported by the U.S. Department of Defense (Northern Command and the National Guard), the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy, could undertake a mitigation strategy to protect the U.S. critical infrastructure from the effects of an EMP. This effort could include the following actions:

• Protect electronic equipment by enclosing sensitive electronics in grounded conductive housings and by adding EMP surge arresters to generators, transformers, motors, and critical electronic equipment.
• Install neutral ground blockers on transformers in substations to prevent ground-induced currents from entering the transformers.
• Install EMP-protected microgrids with on-site power generation at critical infrastructure facilities.
• Develop EMP-resistant electronics, such as optical computing and carbon nanotube memory, that are less susceptible to an EMP attack.
• Include EMP-attack planning scenarios in emergency preparedness training. By planning for the consequences of an EMP attack, communities could develop plans and measures to maintain essential services.

Source: Cost Analysis: Protecting the Grid and Electronics from an EMP - Domestic Preparedness

To restore power for various emergencies, comprehensive resilience planning is essential. Current technologies can protect the Grid, requiring only leadership and investment to reduce vulnerabilities.

The leadership for resolving the electric grid problem is going to come from the incoming administration. Since the majority of the country’s vital infrastructure—such as the banking, healthcare, transportation, and communications systems—is owned by the private sector, it is reliant on the Grid. Co-investment, solid public-private sector partnerships, and cooperation in research, development, and prototyping will all be necessary to find answers.

Such collaboration must involve a faster effort to finance and develop innovative technologies that can shield utilities from man-made or natural electromagnetic surges, further secure SCADA network hardware and software from cyberattacks, and improve the Grid's physical security.

The investment in preserving civilization is worth it, even though estimates of costs vary. As more people become conscious of the precarious threat landscape and the consequences of inaction, there has been an increasing need for safeguarding The Grid. This heightened consciousness implies a need to act quickly and a mandate to support the incoming administration.

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