CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misspelled the name of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment energy fellow. His name is Mark LeBel.
Along with making Connecticut’s electricity cheaper and cleaner, the state has a new priority for the power grid: security.
In the past five months, concern over the cyber security of the state’s power system when from a small blip on a long list of issues to being mentioned along with some of Connecticut biggest energy initiatives, including a $7 billion expansion of the natural gas home heating system, redefining renewable power, and making the state a haven for all types of alternatively fueled vehicles.
“This is an issue that needs to be addressed,” said Dan Esty, commissioner of the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. “We need to make sure that attackers can’t disrupt our power grid via the computer, shutting down our systems and really creating chaos.”
Cyber security was the big change in the state’s final version of its comprehensive energy strategy, a guide from the Malloy Administration meant to drive the state toward a coordinated and better energy future. Despite 45 days of public comments after the draft strategy was introduced in October, the final version released Feb. 19 changed very little, except to make sure there was enough natural gas for the $7 billion expansion and calling for a variety of funding sources for renewable power.
Up until the final strategy was released, Connecticut’s main concern with the electric grid was reliability, protecting against weather events that have plagued the state since 2011. The cyber security section seeks to address a new threat.
“The challenges are obviously vast and complex,” the strategy document says. “Connecticut must ensure that its utilities establish, update, maintain and practice cyber defense and management capabilities commensurate with high industry standards.”
Cyber security was added after a number of the more than 1,000 comments on the draft strategy specifically targeted the issue, Esty said, bringing attention to something downplayed initially.
In addition, President Barack Obama issued an executive order in February calling for every state and power system to prepare itself against a cyber attack.
“This is a big concern for Washington, D.C.,” Esty said.
The comprehensive energy strategy is meant to be a living document that adjusts to change. The Connecticut energy policy reform law passed in 2011 calls on DEEP to issue a new strategy every three years, using the technology and knowledge available at the time to set the best course for the state’s energy future.
The security section is small compared to the large initiatives for energy efficiency, renewable power, and transportation. The state simply calls on the utilities to perform best industry practices and declares that preventing the Internet from cyber attacks is vital to the state’s infrastructure.
Still, the very fact that the comprehensive strategy includes cyber security concerns means the state is addressing an issue with the potential to cause a major disaster, said Joel Gordes, president of West Hartford consulting firm Environmental Energy Solutions, who lobbied heavily to get cyber security language in the state’s energy strategy.
“I was very pleased the state is addressing the cyber security of our power infrastructure,” Gordes said.
Despite the positive step forward, Connecticut really needs to commit further to electric grid security, as simply focusing on cyber attacks only looks at part of the issue, Gordes said.
“Often times, when you try to mitigate one thing, you make things worse for the next hazard,” Gordes said. “The cyber is a good start, but it has to be done as an all-hazards approach.”
Power security needs to be a holistic , where all concerns are addressed by the same plan, instead of providing piecemeal solutions, Gordes said.
The electric grid has six hazards that must be protected against to ensure a steady supply of power, Gordes said. In addition to cyber security, the other hazards include fuel supply and cost escalation; physical threats against the power grid; foreign dependency on fuel and equipment, the unintended consequences of making the grid increasingly complex; and blended threats such as a cyber attack during a large weather event.
“It could accompany a blizzard; that would be the ideal time to wage a cyber attack,” Gordes said.
While only a small section of the comprehensive energy strategy addresses cyber attacks, other provisions help mitigate problems in case of a disruption. The microgrid program, which was expanded from $15 million to $30 million in the final strategy, creates pockets of individual generation to power critical facilities in case of an outage, such as police stations and grocery stores.
Despite concerns over issues such as security, the final version of the comprehensive energy strategy largely was hailed as a smart plan to achieve environmental and economic goals by creating bridges were achievements could be made immediately while working toward an idealistic future.
The renewable energy section strives to eliminate the need for subsidies to make electricity from solar, wind, fuel cells, and other technologies cost-competitive with grid power.
“While other states are treading water or moving backwards, Connecticut is poised to move firmly forward,” said Mark LeBel, energy fellow at the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. “We are pleased that Governor Malloy’s final strategy contains an even more robust commitment to incentivizing energy efficiency than the draft strategy.”
The $7 billion natural gas expansion plan reduces greenhouse gases emissions immediately by switching heating customers away from fuel oil. Steps such as these meet environmental goals without increasing the burdens on businesses or taxpayers, LeBel said.
“Reaching the future envisioned by this strategy will require the sustained focus and determination of all of Connecticut’s citizens,” LeBel said.
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