Description

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Idaho National Lab (INL) hosted a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity conference for the solar and storage industry. Over the next decade, hundreds of gigawatts of clean energy projects will come online and each one must account for the increased threat of cyberattacks from foreign and domestic adversaries.

Solar projects already contain some of the newest software technology, but the grid is outdated and increasingly poses a cybersecurity risk to all energy users and consumers. Coupled with geopolitical instability and the increased likelihood of attacks on U.S. energy infrastructure, solar companies must account for this new reality every time they install a rooftop solar system or connect a large-scale project to the grid.

At the two-day conference, leading cybersecurity and renewable energy experts discussed the key regulatory measures, risk frameworks, and technology pillars that are required to safely and reliably power the clean energy economy. If successful, the solar and storage industry will be one of the most reliable and secure technologies on the grid, helping to enhance the nation’s energy security and independence at this critical time in American energy history.