September 24, 2013 - Representative David Price (D-NC), the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subommittee, announced that ABB, Inc. has been awarded a $2.765 million Department of Energy (DOE) Grant to develop technology to help the energy sector enhance its cybersecurity. The project is one of 11 DOE grants totaling over $30 million announced today. “Protecting our electric grid and oil and gas infrastructure from cyber attack, is critical to our preparedness, to our economic security and to public safety,” Rep.
Price said. “Projects such as ABB’s will make every American more secure by giving energy generators and our homeland security professionals the tools they need to meet the challenges of an evolving cyber landscape.” “As a leader in power grid solutions, ABB is committed to building an infrastructure with the highest levels of cybersecurity, so that even in the face of challenges, the availability and functional interoperability of our systems is not in question,” said Enrique Santacana, president and CEO of ABB in North America.
ABB, which has its North American headquarters in Cary and a major research facility and world renowned Smart Grid Center on NC State’s Centennial Campus, will lead a project that will focus on developing a system to allow electrical substation devices to work together to validate the integrity of communications along a power distribution network, such as command to chance a relay’s configuration, and assess the potential impact on grid operations. The grant awards are a part of the Obama Administration and Congress’ commitment to protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure from cybersecurity threats. Since 2010, DOE has invested more than $100 million in cybersecurity research and development through awards and funding provided to industry, universities and national laboratories.
As the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, Rep. Price has been a leading advocate for funding to address our cybersecurity needs.