NRECA gets $4M grant from DOE for cybersecurity enhancements for electric co-ops
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) received a $4 million award from the Department of Energy to launch an initiative to advance the cybersecurity posture of electric co-ops.
The initiative is called Project Guardian, and the funding from this grant will give co-ops the new tools they need to detect, respond to, and recover from cyber threats and attacks.
The funding was authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and is part of the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity (RMUC) Program. It wiill be provided over a four-year period by DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER).
“As cyber threats evolve, so must electric co-op efforts to protect against them,” NRECA CEO Jim Matheson said. “Project Guardian will accelerate ongoing electric cooperative cybersecurity collaboration and, in partnership with DOE, help protect the electric grid from increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity threats and attacks.”
Specifically, the funding will be allocated to four areas:
1. Self-Assessment Framework. NRECA will revamp a self-assessment program to help co-ops understand their cybersecurity strengths and vulnerabilities while also guiding them toward greater cyber maturity. The program will help electric co-ops develop incident response plans and incorporate tailored cybersecurity tabletop exercises in their planning.
2. Threat Analysis Center. NRECA will use its Threat Analysis Center to disseminate program content to electric co-ops, including tabletop exercises, guidelines, on-ramp guides for TAC usage, threat advisories and other critical information.
3. Cyber Champions. The project will cultivate co-op cyber champions who are responsible for amplifying relevant information and updates to other electric co-ops within their region. In partnership with other public entities, they will establish two-way communication channels and synchronize messaging related to cyberattack reporting and collaboration before, during and after cyberattacks.
4. Workforce Development. The project team will catalogue cybersecurity job roles and descriptions aligned with industry needs, in collaboration with DOE’s National Laboratories. Standardized job descriptions and career trajectories will help co-ops secure and retain a robust cybersecurity workforce.
NRECA is the national trade association representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives. From suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape.
