DOE, NREL seeking applications for Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator program

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are seeking applications for the second cohort of the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator (CECA) program.

The program brings together federal experts, energy industry representatives, and innovators to develop cybersecurity solutions for renewable energy resources – and bring them to market more rapidly.

“As physical and virtual threats to our critical energy infrastructure continue to evolve, DOE is using all the tools at our disposal to lock down cybersecurity vulnerabilities of today and tomorrow,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said. “By supporting new, innovative technologies, the CECA program will help bring cutting-edge solutions to market more rapidly—ensuring our nation’s electric grid is secure and reliable as it transitions to 100% clean energy.”

In this second cohort, CECA is seeking applicants with solutions that actively identify all industrial control system assets connected to a utility’s infrastructure, both physically and virtually. The solutions should support the identification of unauthorized, unmanaged, or compromised assets to be removed or remediated.

Through the CECA program, DOE and NREL have partnered with Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Duke Energy, and Xcel Energy to tackle the growing cyber threats to the U.S. energy sector. Others are invited to join as well. The partnering utilities may use the cohort’s cybersecurity technologies once they are assessed and validated. They will also gain insights from the technology developers on the latest cyber challenges, best practices, trends, and the ability to understand cyber technology solutions.

In December 2022, DOE and NREL announced the CECA program’s first cohort. It includes three participants with cyber-defense technologies unproven in energy systems to authenticate distributed energy resources. The three participants have begun a technical assessment of their technologies and will have the opportunity to showcase their solutions using NREL’s laboratory facilities.

Up to five participants will be selected for the second CECA cohort. The application portal is open now through Feb. 10. Participants must be based in the United States and offer innovations that address the specified cybersecurity topic priority.