Do we need a Department of Homeland Cybersecurity?

By Jesse Berst

The electric power grid faces cyberattack and needs a single federal agency devoted to its protection, according to a report from Reuters that describes a just-released study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the future of the U.S. electric grid. A single agency would be better suited to address the problem than the current "welter of groups," said MIT. The report warns that current federal standards apply to the transmission grid, but fail to cover the nearly 6 million miles of medium-voltage distribution.

As reported elsewhere in Smart Grid News, the report also has other recommendations, including a call for utilities to do more to share information and a suggestion that utilities should transition to dynamic pricing. Overall, the report warns that “if regulatory policies and the technologies employed in the grid do not change, it is likely to be difficult to maintain acceptable reliability and electric rates.”

As the pendulum swings back toward smaller government, it is unusual to hear calls for Yet Another Federal Agency. Does MIT have it right? That's this week's Tuesday Topic; please join the discussion.

Jesse Berst is the founder and chief analyst of Smart Grid News.com. He consults to smart grid companies seeking market entry advice and M&A advisory. A frequent keynoter at industry events in the US and abroad, he also serves on the Advisory Council of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Energy & Environment directorate.