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June 2002 IBEW Journal Electricity is so basic to daily life and for years has been so reliable in North American society that most people take its presence for granted. But without the smooth functioning of the electricity system, the economy would grind to an abrupt halt. In the past several months, endless permutations of "what if" possibilities have consumed industry leaders and government officials. "The electric grid in this nation is our economic lifeblood, and it is not inconceivable that its importance would make it a high-profile target for attacks," said an Edison Electric Institute report titled "Energy Security and Critical Infrastructure Systems." The Edison Electric Institute (EEI), an association of private electric utilities, has formed a task force to prepare for possible attacks, with representatives from the utilities, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the North American Electric Reliability Council and the U.S. Department of Energy. The groups goals include coordinating government and industry infrastructure security preparations and contingency plans in the event of an attack. James S. Potts, Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco) vice president, said the company that services Washington, D.C. and part of the surrounding Maryland suburbs is looking at key changes in policies and procedures. One of the major procedures instituted in the past few months is for all potential new hires at the utility to undergo a background check. That recommendation, which many utilities across the country have also been implementing, is among those set forth by EEI, Potts said.
Like other businesses, electric utilities rely heavily on computerized information technology for functions as diverse as scheduling, metering, utilization and allocation and control of generation, transmission, distribution and demand on the grid. An article in the Northwest Public Power Association publication "Bulletin" said a knowledgeable hacker could conceivably issue false commands to a utilitys energy control systems, causing disturbances on the electricity supply and delivery systems. The amount of information available to the publicincluding, Potts said, the contents of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Web siteis being scrutinized for what it supplies to possible saboteurs. EPA, which has authority over electric, natural gas and nuclear facilities, has removed scores of such information from its Internet site. To keep a tighter lid on information, Pepco asked employees to sign confidentiality agreements. But the definition of "confidential information" was unclear and Local 1900 officials balked. "The union said how can we comply if you havent identified what the confidential information is?" said Hunter, former business manager of Local 1900, Washington, D.C. As a result, although Pepco managers have been asked to sign such agreements, Local 1900 members have not, Potts said. But as the utility continues its review of internal documents, that may change. "One of these days it will be clear to everyone which documents are to be kept confidential," Potts said. Making the required changes to improve security at utilities nationwide could total into the billions of dollars, Hunter said. Whether the companies, government, or the customers bear the brunt of the cost is yet to be determined. First District International Representative Peter Routliff said the September 11 attacks have prompted similar reviews of utility procedures in Canada but they lack the urgency of those in the U.S. |
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Pepcos
computer system, which runs the complex network of electrical system
supply and distribution, is also under review. Fortunately, Potts
said, the security around computers and the actual physical systems,
including power lines and substations, have been reviewed and are
considered relatively secure, although improvements are ongoing.