Electric Grid’s Future: Increased Risk of Attack

Despite growing smarter, the U.S. electric grid is expected to become more vulnerable and a prime target for a cyber attacks, according to a new report from the MIT Energy Initiative. The report, “The Future of the Electric Grid,” was published on Dec. 5 and cites weaknesses in oversight, processes, new communication devices, and the grid’s existing physical environment.

The study, led by MIT professors John Kassakian and Richard Schmalensee, focuses on the electric grid’s challenges over the next 20 years, including safeguarding the existing power structure, the rising prices in fossil fuels, and in the potential influx of renewable energy sources. The 268-page report also calls for the designation of a single federal agency to combat cyber attacks. President Barack Obama and his administration have advocated for the Department of Homeland Security to take the lead; other members of Congress would prefer the Department of Energy or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

From The Future of the Electric Grid:

“This lack of a single operational entity with responsibility for grid cyber-security preparedness as well as response and recovery creates a security vulnerability in a highly interconnected electric power system comprising generation, transmission, and distribution.”

The report criticizes the current kilowatt/hour pricing system and concludes that the while the power grid is adequate for meeting today’s power needs, it will have trouble integrating alternative power sources like wind and solar. It also acknowledges that a cyber-attack will eventually succeed, and an investment of about $3.7 billion is needed to adequately secure the grid from attack.

From the report:

“Perfect protection from cyber-attacks is not possible. It is thus important for the involved government agencies, working with the private sector in a coordinated fashion, to support the research necessary to develop best practices for response to and recovery from cyber-attacks on transmission and distribution systems, so that such practices can be widely deployed.”

“The Future of the Electric Grid” is the sixth in the MIT Energy Initiative’s future-focused series, which has also studied natural gas, nuclear fuel, and transportation. For more information, view the report or watch a video discussing the report's findings.