Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Raines, Jody.
This report depicts local photovoltaic components, interdependencies with the grid, and local two-way communication pathways. It identifies physical and virtual risks and delineates between photovoltaic and grid scale components. It provides readers with a fundamental overview of the most relevant and critical physical components and serves as a basic educational resource for readers.
This report provides context on the founding of the Cybersecurity Advisory Team for State Solar (CATSS) project and provides a user guide to the toolkit, including an outline of all tools and a suggested order of reading the tools.
This report contains a list of relevant standards developed or in development for the cybersecurity of solar energy resources. It outlines different types of standards, such as industry standards, enforceable regulations, and conceptual relevant cybersecurity studies. Users may use this quick guide as a tool to enhance understanding of existing standards and for brainstorming new ideas to help states improve the cybersecurity of solar energy resources in their jurisdiction through innovative policy.
This tool outlines actions that states can take to establish state-level working groups, which can be a critical first step to establishing state cybersecurity programs and efforts to support cybersecurity in distributed energy resources. Specifically, these working groups can lead the development of cybersecurity task forces focused around distributed energy resources, formal recommendations for policy makers and regulators, and the creation of a response strategies and plans for cybersecurity impacts or incidents in solar photovoltaic systems.
To help State Energy Officials and Public Utility Commissions engaging investor-and consumer-owned utilities and the solar industry in topical discussions about their cybersecurity practices and priorities in general, and for interconnected solar systems, specifically, this report outlines discussions prompts for these discussions. By using the questions in this tool states can explore aspects of utilities’ cybersecurity risk management programs that target solar devices, systems, and communication pathways. Such discussions help states identify cybersecurity gaps and assist in emergency response planning, as well as general risk awareness.
This tool identifies workforce competencies and requisite skill sets for the solar cybersecurity workforce, and highlights tactics that State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions can employ to amplify current solar workforce training initiatives and build partnerships that help develop this workforce . It highlights policies and pathways that can foster the growth of solar cybersecurity workforce . Critically, it also identifies internal solar cyber expertise that State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions should consider to further develop their roles and responsibilities in this space
This report offers approachable, plausible scenarios of cyberattacks affecting photovoltaic assets and interconnected infrastructure. It may be used by State Energy Officials and Public Utility Commission Staff to educate themselves on the potential consequences of these scenarios and the practical, high-level actions that may be implemented now to mitigate future impacts. It highlights plausible consequences of inadequate cyber provisions for PV systems and offers potential state actions to alleviate the identified risks.
This tool provides an overview of existing procurement programs and example language that prioritizes cybersecurity language and references that can readily be applied to state solar cybersecurity practices . The tool also identifies sample language for procurement agreements, contracts, and grants which can serve as lower entry points for state officials interested in pursuing this subject matter more immediately. As this approach may be novel for many states, the information therein should be considered as a model only . The programs and example language included are not exhaustive and should be evaluated in accordance with state processes and policies .
The intent of this resource is to provide recommendations on how State Energy Offices and Public Utility Commissions might design an energy emergency exercise, drill, or other simulation focused on solar cybersecurity scenarios . Exercise practitioners, planners, or facilitators interested in exploring solar cybersecurity incident response, preparedness, recovery, or mitigation may find this a valuable resource . This is an advanced supplementary resource for persons or entities with prior exercise experience and knowledge . It should not be used as a baseline educational resource for how to conduct and evaluate an exercise . It is based on a set of standard concepts, terms, and procedures that are common among the exercise community . This tool may be referenced in conjunction with the Hypothetical Solar Cyberattack Scenarios and Impacts tool within the CATSS Toolkit
The Decision Support Tool helps users address four discrete challenges: (1) complex requirements of relevant codes and standards, (2) technical complexity of solar assets, (3) undefined cyber risk severity, and (4) unclear roles and responsibilities. Content includes an analysis of cyber vulnerability risks, a decision support resource for policymakers to mitigate cyber risks to solar photovoltaic systems, and background resources for informing policy development. A key component of this tool is the Probable Risk Assessment (PRA), based on established, formal variables, models, and consequences, which helps users understand the determined risk and assigned ownership of the physical components. It helps states draw logical lines between vulnerabilities and mitigative solutions, of which some have been further detailed as Cybersecurity Advisory Team for State Solar (CATSS) tools.
One of the mitigative solutions to solar cybersecurity risks is to proactively develop legislation which can facilitate, guide, or require actionable policy and program development . Legislation can reinforce the criticality of protecting energy infrastructure from cyber threats in several ways that can have long lasting impacts . This tool outlines relevant state cybersecurity legislation examples which can apply to solar cybersecurity and can serve as frameworks for future legislation by states seeking legislative options to help mitigate these risks
Threats to our nation’s critical infrastructure are escalating in frequency and sophistication. It is essential for public and private sectors to join forces to understand the threats, mitigate risks, and plan to respond and recover from disruption. Fusion centers — organizations purpose-built to facilitate communication and cooperation between federal, state, local, and territorial law enforcement entities — are well-positioned to play a pivotal role in this context. Although fusion centers historically focused on crime and terrorism, there is a need to engage more broadly and build stronger threat information sharing relationships among energy stakeholders within their states.