Utilities trade association releases baseline cyber standards for distributed renewable energy | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The DOE-funded initiative provides voluntary guidance to electric distribution systems and distributed energy resources companies.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/renewable-energy-cybersecurity-baseline\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Utilities trade association releases baseline cyber standards for distributed renewable energy\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The DOE-funded initiative provides voluntary guidance to electric distribution systems and distributed energy resources companies.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/renewable-energy-cybersecurity-baseline\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta 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class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"24.91\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"29.76\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/news\/government\/\"> <span>Government<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> The DOE-funded initiative provides voluntary guidance to electric distribution systems and distributed energy resources companies. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"421\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy.jpg?resize=640%2C421&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy-2.jpg?resize=300,197 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy-2.jpg?resize=768,505 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy-2.jpg?resize=1024,674 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy-2.jpg?resize=1536,1010 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy-2.jpg?resize=600,395 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy-2.jpg?resize=255,168 255w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy-2.jpg?resize=512,337 512w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy-2.jpg?resize=1026,675 1026w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy-2.jpg?resize=1282,843 1282w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1026px) 100vw, 1026px\"><figcaption> Banks of Solar panels sit atop and apartment building along 34th Street in the Normal Heights section of San Diego, California on Wednesday, November 20, 2013. (Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"22.863907977293\"><body readability=\"48.01028453891\"><\/p>\n<p>The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners on Thursday released cybersecurity baselines for distributed renewable energy resources like home solar panels.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Energy-funded initiative for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naruc.org\/core-sectors\/critical-infrastructure-and-cybersecurity\/cybersecurity-for-utility-regulators\/cybersecurity-baselines\/\">voluntary baselines<\/a> provides a standard for basic cyber protections for electric distribution systems and distributed energy resources (DER) companies, which are among the fastest-growing industries. DERs, which are small-scale local energy generation technologies and storage like solar panels and small wind farms, make up a major portion of the U.S. energy sector. The NARUC baselines, per the press release, were needed given that regulatory authorities for DERs are at the state level instead of through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which enforces mandatory cybersecurity compliance for the U.S. grid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSafeguarding America\u2019s energy infrastructure and advancing U.S. cybersecurity capabilities is critical to achieving President Biden\u2019s ambitious climate goals,\u201d Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/content.govdelivery.com\/accounts\/USDOECESER\/bulletins\/38c6a49\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Though the lasting impacts of climate change have already diluted terms like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/07\/13\/1187573942\/climate-change-is-making-the-way-we-talk-about-flood-risk-outdated\">100-year-floods<\/a>, investments into clean energy resources are part of the Biden administration\u2019s goal of creating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2023-05\/DOE%20-%20100%25%20Clean%20Electricity%20-%20Final.pdf\">100% clean electricity by 2035<\/a>. This initiative was funded by the DOE\u2019s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). Both DOE and NARUC will host virtual public briefings next month on the baseline guidance.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The guidance is also a part of the national cybersecurity strategy released last March, which directs DOE to promote cybersecurity resilience into the grid transition. DOE has other efforts aimed at securing the transition, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrel.gov\/innovate\/cybersecurity-accelerator.html\">Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator<\/a> and the Energy Cyber Sense vulnerability testing program for grid equipment.<\/p>\n<p>Because regulation among states can vary widely \u2014 particularly when it comes to cybersecurity \u2014 the guidance is meant to provide uniformity instead of patchwork requirements, according to the release. The baseline recommendations were modeled off of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-performance-goals-critical-infrastructure\/\">cybersecurity performance goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAmericans want to know our electricity systems are safe and cyber secure. And companies want uniform expectations when it comes to cybersecurity,\u201d Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, said in a statement. \u201cThe Department of Energy and NARUC have taken the first step to achieving both, with the release of these cybersecurity baselines.\u201d<br \/>Thursday\u2019s announcement is the initial phase of the initiative, which plans on moving toward implementation strategies and guidance for the booming renewable industry. Renewables are expected to supply almost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/todayinenergy\/detail.php?id=51698\">half of the energy generation<\/a> in the U.S. by 2050, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"1.1841491841492\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"9\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Christian Vasquez\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Christian Vasquez<\/h4>\n<p> Christian covers industrial cybersecurity for CyberScoop News. He previously wrote for E&E News at POLITICO covering cybersecurity in the energy sector. Reach out: christian.vasquez at cyberscoop dot com <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__container\">\n<h2 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{"id":2592,"date":"2024-02-23T17:05:40","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T17:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=79405"},"modified":"2024-02-23T17:05:40","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T17:05:40","slug":"utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/23\/utilities-trade-association-releases-baseline-cyber-standards-for-distributed-renewable-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"Utilities trade association releases baseline cyber standards for distributed renewable energy"},"content":{"rendered":"