SUNFLOWER ELECTRIC
Electricity powers our lives. Rarely are we in environments that are not dependent on electricity in some way. Each time we turn electricity on and off, we are influencing one of the world’s largest and most complex machines: the North American power system. This machine, which stretches from coast to coast, can be impacted by severe weather, vandalism, cyber incidents, and other natural and man-made events.
Protecting the nation’s critical assets to ensure an affordable, reliable and secure energy supply are top priorities for electric cooperatives and the entire electric power industry. Electric system owners work with government agencies in deploying multi-layered security measures that respond to and mitigate the system’s threats and vulnerabilities. The electric power sector continuously monitors the bulk electric power system and responds to events large and small. As a result, electric consumers are rarely aware of these events primarily because the electric sector successfully executes its defensive measures every day.
To maintain and improve upon the high level of reliability that electric consumers expect, electric cooperatives work closely with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Energy (DOE), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and other sectors of the industry.
“Decades ago, electric cooperatives were formed to serve rural areas, and while some now serve suburban areas,the majority still serve in rural areas,” said Bill Branch, vice president and chief information officer at Sunflower. “Being located in remote areas does not mean that co-ops work in isolation. We are part of a vast electric grid, one that relies on subject matter experts from many organizations to keep it running well.”
In 2005, Congress mandated the development and enforcement of reliability and cyber security standards to protect the critical physical and cyber assets in the BulkElectric System (BES). The Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP or cyber) standards were initially developed and
implemented by FERC in 2006 and have been audited for compliance by NERC since 2007. NERC’s CIP is the only set of mandatory cybersecurity standards in place for the nation’s critical infrastructures, such as water, gas and electricity.
During the last decade, these standards have evolved into categorizing the BES cyber system into high, medium, and low impact types of assets based on the potential risk and impacts to the BES. The newest version of standards is now being deployed throughout the industry. In the next several years revised and new CIP standards will be developed, and within a year or two of their approval, they will become mandatory. It’s safe to say that these standards will continue to be more impactful on the industry with the focus on ensuring the safety and reliability of the electric grid.
“Sunflower takes very seriously the responsibility we have in helping protect the North American power system,” Branch said. “Staff have been put in place to prepare for and meet the CIP standards, and their hard work definitely paid off in the recent CIP audit. As our industry changes, we know that more security challenges lie ahead, but the CIP plan will help electric utilities meet them head on.”
The Member-Owner Cooperatives of Hays-based Sunflower Electric Power Corporation are Lane/Scott Electric-Dighton; Prairieland Electric-Norton; Victory Electric-Dodge City; Western Cooperative Electric, WaKeeney; Wheatland Electric-Scott City; Pioneer Electric-Ulysses; and Southern Pioneer Electric Company-Liberal and Medicine Lodge.