DOE Seeking Early-Stage Cybersecurity Solutions for Energy Sector

The Department of Energy has begun accepting applications for its Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator program.

CECA is aimed at advancing early-stage solutions to protect renewable energy systems from high-priority cyber risks, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory says on its website.

DOE explained that while cybersecurity works best when it is integrated in the early stage, it is often too costly for developers. CECA will fund early-stage security integration and help developers commercialize their technologies, DOE said Monday.

The accelerator is managed by NREL and sponsored by DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response, among others.

Utilities will participate in CESA to allow innovators to test their technologies with the organizations that need them. The industry partners will also benefit from the arrangement by having access to a pipeline of innovative cybersecurity technologies.

For the first round of applications, DOE said it is seeking authentication solutions for distributed energy resources. Participants will be part of a three to 12-month incubation period prior to laboratory validation. Applications for the first cohort are due July 6.

CESER Director Puesh Kumar said that NREL’s capabilities will give developers a better shot at reaching the technical validation and demonstration stages.

One of such capability, according to DOE, is the Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems, a cyber range and simulation environment designed for the evaluation for energy sector defenses.

Kelly Speakes-Backman, principal deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, said that CECA will provide innovators a chance to test their technologies against high-priority threats. She added that cybersecurity must be guaranteed if the clean technologies are to be deployed at scale.