Energy Department Announces $70M R&D Program to Harden Power Delivery Infrastructure

The Department of Energy has unveiled a potential $70 million research and development program to build up the resilience of energy infrastructure and reduce risks from cyberthreats, physical threats and extreme weather.

The All-Hazards Energy Resilience funding opportunity could provide up to 25 R&D projects worth from $500,000 to $5 million each, the Energy Department said Thursday.

The program, managed by the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response, is open to proposals from the public, private and academic sectors and the Energy Department’s national laboratories.

Proposed topic areas include cybersecurity, physical security, wildfire security and climate mitigation. The department stressed that energy delivery systems face greater cyber and physical attack risks and increasing strain due to shifting climate conditions.

The Energy Department is also accepting proposals that integrate university-based research to enhance energy organizations’ cybersecurity and physical security posture. In compliance with White House diversity rules, the category is expected to be exclusive for teams that include historically black colleges and universities.

In 2022, the department launched a funding opportunity to strengthen energy grid cybersecurity.