BARC Working with Cooperative Associations on Grid Security
Date: March 22, 2022
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tish Blackwell, 800-846-2272 (tblackwell@barcelectric.com)
Millboro – BARC, in partnership with the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (NRECA) and the Virginia, Maryland, Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC), remains vigilant in protecting power distribution to provide reliable energy to its members. Maintaining and enhancing the security of the electric grid is a priority for electric cooperatives. In early 2021, the Biden administration launched a 100-day cybersecurity initiative with a focus on strengthening the security of the electric grid. The effort was focused on protecting industrial control systems (ICS) and facilitating better information sharing between industry and government.
On March 21, 2022, the CEO-led Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) – which serves as the principal liaison between the federal government and the electric power industry on efforts to prepare for, and respond to, national-level disasters or threats to critical infrastructure – issued the following statement:
“Protecting our nation’s critical energy infrastructure is a responsibility shared by the energy industry and our government partners at all levels.
“The briefing provided by the U.S. government was the latest example of this partnership in action, bringing together private-sector critical infrastructure providers and security officials from across the energy industry for the latest intelligence assessment and to reinforce the importance of continued industry vigilance given the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“The threat of cyber and physical attacks targeting critical infrastructure is not new. The nation’s electricity providers—investor-owned electric companies, electric cooperatives, and public power utilities—continuously monitor for threats and are prepared to defend the grid and their infrastructure and systems. They also continue to work with a key partner, the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC), which analyzes electricity-specific information and context.
“Additionally, industry and government partner through the ESCC to facilitate information sharing and to develop coordinated responses to incidents, which allows the industry to continue to provide electricity safely and reliably.
“This partnership is critical in helping to protect the grid from threats that could impact national security and public safety. We appreciate the ongoing collaboration of our federal partners and their level of outreach to ensure that the entire energy industry maintains a vigilant and secure posture.”
BARC will continue to partner with the energy industry, cooperatives and government to ensure energy needs and security requirements are met for its service area. Like any business, BARC faces risk from cyberattacks. In partnering with all electric co-ops to pool resources in developing cybersecurity training and tools, cooperatives are better positioned to modernize systems and improve efficiency, safety, and reliability. When it comes to vulnerability to sophisticated attacks, co-ops work together to pool resources and identify solutions.
About the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council
The ESCC serves as the principal liaison between leadership in the federal government and in the electric power sector, with the mission of coordinating efforts to prepare for national-level incidents or threats to critical infrastructure. Protecting the energy grid from threats that could impact national security and public safety is a responsibility shared by both the government and the electric power sector. The ESCC facilitates and supports policy- and public affairs-related activities and initiatives designed to enhance the reliability and resilience of the energy grid. These activities include all hazards, steady-state preparation, and emergency preparedness, response, and recovery for the nation’s electricity sector. More information is available at: http://www.electricitysubsector.org/
About BARC
BARC Electric Cooperative is a customer-owned electric cooperative serving 13,000 residents, farms and businesses across five counties in Virginia. To continue to serve and meet the needs of its members, BARC constructed the first community solar garden in the Commonwealth and provides high-speed Internet and telephone service through BARC Connects, its wholly owned fiber-to-the-home subsidiary. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To learn more about all the exciting things happening at BARC, visit www.barcelectric.com , www.barcconnects.net and www.solarizebarc.com.