DENVER —Adrian McNamara got the rare opportunity to break a little news at NRECA’s recent Co-op Cyber Tech conference.
“I want to announce that [the U.S Department of Energy] has officially approved our contract extension to March of 2027,” McNamara, NRECA cybersecurity program manager, told a breakout session audience. “So for those of you who are waiting to engage with us … it’s official.”
The funds, originally earmarked for G&Ts and large co-ops, are now available to any co-op with SCADA and can be used to build a new system or to upgrade or expand an existing system. Earlier this year, NRECA asked DOE for an extension to disburse $7.9 million in unallocated funds and received word during the conference that its extension had been granted.
“We’re hoping this will open up the floodgates for folks to start engaging,” McNamara said.
The Co-op Cyber Tech breakout was moderated by McNamara and featured representatives from three participating co-ops, who gave insights and advice on ICS-REC applications, rules, build-outs and reimbursements. All three praised McNamara and the NRECA team for helping the process go smoothly.
“The paperwork was probably the worst, and that wasn't even that bad compared to some of the other programs,” said Jeff Haidet, applications and security manager for South Central Power in Ohio, one of the first co-ops to join ICS-REC. “It's been great to work with the NRECA team. They really walk you through the process.”
Cooper Cash, director of IT infrastructure at NCEMC, the North Carolina statewide association and G&T, said the program helped them think bigger about an OT cyber deployment they were already planning.
“We were going to deploy something to monitor our environment regardless,” said Cash. “What this really allowed us to do was to bring some of the co-ops in our state along with us.”
Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative, a G&T in South Dakota, is about halfway through its ICS-REC deployment, which involves replacing older switches and upgrading the radio system for transmitting meter data, among other tasks. Their team found the direct-funding aspect of the program much easier to manage than the federal competitive grant process.
“I was pleasantly surprised at the difference in the deadlines and there was not as much red tape,” said Rob Taylor, the co-op’s funding and grands coordinator. “NRECA has just been wonderful to work with.”
The rest of the discussion and Q&A touched on things like getting buy-in from leadership on applying for the program, stumbling blocks in the participation agreement process and post-deployment reporting, among other topics.
Haidet offered a final piece of advice to potential program participants: “Take a step back from the project that you're looking at and make sure you understand all pieces of what you're really attempting to accomplish,” he said.
“Cybersecurity, like the other parts of our business, is something we’re constantly making investments in. [Participating in ICS-REC] gives you an opportunity to help out with the operating budget in an immediate fashion. It’s a springboard to get to where you might not otherwise be without this money. It’s just a fantastic program.”
