The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled a funding initiative of up to $70 million to support research in technologies that enhance resilience and mitigate risks to energy delivery infrastructure. This competitive funding opportunity targets a broad range of hazards, including cyber threats, physical attacks, natural disasters, and extreme weather events fueled by climate change. Open to public and private sector entities, universities, and DOE’s National Laboratories, the initiative aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to building secure and robust energy infrastructure in pursuit of a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. Managed by DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), the program emphasizes innovative and diverse solutions, addressing cybersecurity, climate mitigation, wildfire mitigation, and physical security.
Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm emphasized the necessity of intelligent investments in energy systems to ensure reliability and resilience against emerging threats while meeting President Biden’s ambitious clean energy and climate goals. The All-Hazards Energy Resilience program, overseen by CESER, intends to address future challenges, facilitating the safe and reliable flow of energy across the nation. The initiative seeks to encourage a variety of approaches from awardees, supporting 25 research, development, and demonstration projects ranging from $500,000 to $5,000,000. Proposed project areas include cyber research and development, climate mitigation, wildfire mitigation, and physical security. Teams from universities, non-profit and for-profit companies, national laboratories, governments, and Tribal Nations are encouraged to apply.
The funding initiative acknowledges the evolving climate and technology landscape, aiming to develop unique and adaptable solutions that suit specific challenges faced by different types of energy delivery infrastructure. The proposed projects address the critical areas of cyber research and development, climate mitigation, wildfire mitigation, and physical security.
Recognizing the growing threat of cyber attacks in the digital landscape, the initiative aims to advance cybersecurity measures to protect energy delivery infrastructure. In the face of climate change, projects will focus on innovative solutions to reduce the impact of extreme weather events on energy transmission and reliability. Additionally, efforts will be directed towards mitigating the devastating effects of wildfires on energy systems and enhancing physical security measures to protect utility power stations from various threats. The inclusion of university-based research and development projects further integrates academic expertise to strengthen the cyber and cyber-physical security posture of the electric sector.
