Texas Tech center would protect electric grid
LUBBOCK — Texas Tech University will create a center aimed at protecting rural America’s electric grid, thanks to a multimillion-dollar federal grant announced this month.
The U.S. Energy Department awarded Tech with about $2.5 million to establish a university-based electric power cybersecurity center, one of six that the department is funding nationwide, according to a news release from the university.
Tech’s project, led by Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Chair Stephen Bayne, will conduct cybersecurity research and develop training materials in partnership with the energy sector and Energy Department National Laboratories.
The center will focus on rural utilities in the Texas power grid, working to address the various stages of cyberattacks on the grid, including attack detection, prevention, impact analysis and recovery plans, the university said.
“This research project is an outstanding opportunity for Texas Tech researchers and students to work in the area of cyber-physical security for the electrical power grid,” Bayne said in the release. “Cyber-physical attacks are a growing concern for national security. This project will help train the next generation of energy professionals, which is critically needed for the cyber-physical resiliency of the electrical power grid.”
The project was selected as part of a $15 million investment from the Energy Department’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response to increase the nation’s grid resiliency.
“This investment in universitybased cybersecurity centers will enable us to simultaneously grow the U.S. cyber workforce and build the expertise we need to take on the evolving cyber threats to our nation’s energy systems,” the cybersecurity office’s director, Puesh M. Kumar, said. “The U.S. competitive advantage has always depended on cutting-edge research and a highskilled workforce. Through these projects, we are advancing our economic and national security.”