Energy Department moves to bolster clean energy cybersecurity with $30M investment

The U.S. Department of Energy has unveiled a $30 million grant program for the development of cybersecurity tools for the clean energy infrastructure amid escalating cybersecurity threats, according to SecurityWeek. Organizations could be awarded up to $3 million by the Energy Department's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response for developing tools that seek to bolster compromised renewable energy field device forensics, resolve inverter-based resource threats, enhance virtual power plant cybersecurity, and strengthen communications security of Distributed Energy Resources and Distributed Energy Resource Aggregations with the U.S. electric grid. Varying individual awards could also be handed as part of the program. "This funding will drive the development of next generation cyber technologies that keep our nation at the forefront of innovation, while protecting our energy infrastructure from increasing cyber threats. This work could not be more important or timely as our nation transitions to the clean energy economy," said Energy Department Under Secretary for Infrastructure David Crane.