CSIIRW

The energy industry is embarking upon an infrastructure transformation that will result in a national power grid that is more intelligent, robust, resilient, and secure. While the final form will not be known for quite some time, clearly a smarter grid will make better use of information. Whether an electric utility is making real-time adjustments in response to changing load conditions, or commercial and private consumers are making better choices, the timely availability of this information will become increasingly critical. Ultimately, the overall efficiency, reliability, and resilience of the grid is inextricably linked to information. Unfortunately, "the electric power sector is second from the bottom of all major U.S. industries in terms of R&D spending as a percentage of revenue, exceeding only pulp and paper [Amin2011]." Moreover, U.S. officials worry that cyber-spies could use their [demonstrated] access to shut down the grid or take control of power plants during a time of crisis or war [CIO09, WSJ09]. Moreover, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) released the results of a two-year study, The Future of the Electric Grid.