Smart Grid and Information Sharing

March 19, FERC issued their proposed policy and action plan on Smart Grid. The proposed FERC policy will require the sharing of information associated with smart grid deployments with the Smart Grid Clearinghouse being developed by the Department of Energy. According to FERC, this will help to demonstrate the real benefits that investing in a smart grid can bring to the public. Additionally, the proposed policy statement seeks public comment on standards for four priority issues critical to the smooth functioning and operation of the Smart Grid including cyber security. Since cyber security is part of the Smart Grid and hence the Smart Grid Clearinghouse, this implies some form of mandated information sharing on cyber security. I don’t believe information sharing on cyber security, whether part of Smart Grid or not, will work with a DOE-led clearinghouse- it certainly hasn’t worked for the DHS-led US CERT. Several years ago, Carnegie-Mellon Software Engineering Institute (SEI) and myself while I was at KEMA were tasked to develop a scoping study for establishing a CERT for Control Systems, in this case an “e-CERT” for the electric industry. I believe that work is even more relevant now. Joe Weiss