Who can help?
The following are vendors and resources for solutions to mitigate various threats to electronics and electrical systems. The Secure the Grid Coalition does not receive any funding via either monies, goods, or services from these vendors nor does the Secure the Grid Coalition endorse any specific vendor. Additional vendors and resources can be found via the internet.
IAN is co-owned by Chuck Manto, leader of InfraGard EMP SIG. IAN and other partners have been contracted by DoD’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to create EMP hardened micro-grids.
IAN maintains a catalog of 50+ companies and vendors who can provide assets and services related to micro-grid construction, power generation and transmission, EMP/GMD hardening, water and wastewater services, communications services, etc.
Pretact® bullet-resistant transformers – The unit consists of bullet resistant panels that are supported by steel brackets attached directly to the transformer or reactor tank wall.
Delivery of the first Pretact® bullet-resistant transformer – Press Release 16 October 2016: Siemens will supply the 970 MVA three-phase generator step-up transformer with a voltage level of 345 kV. This bullet-resistant transformer has been designed to fit five different generating stations in nine locations (with the same generator bus duct) and will be delivered to the customer in January 2017.
Emprimus is a research and development company partnered with ABB, a global leader in power and automation technologies, working with major utilities to design, test, patent and produce the most effective products to protect against Solar Storm/Geomagnetic Induced Currents (GIC), Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) including Nuclear EMP (E3 Pulse), and Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (IEMI) caused by Radio Frequency Weapons. Emprimus currently holds over 16 awarded U.S. Patents and more than 50 in other nations around the world.
SolidGround™ – EMP & GIC Neutral Blocker
The patented ABB SolidGround™ grid stability system offers tested and proven protection against the effects of both Solar Storms/Geomagnetic Induced Current (GIC) and Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) specifically Nuclear EMP – E3.
EMP.Alert™ – Threat Detection System
iEmprimus’ EMP.Alert™ is a patented real-time alert system that informs electrical grid operators and stake holders within milliseconds of an EMP event and can trigger SolidGround™ into protection mode before E3 arrives.
Jaxon is a distinquished leader in Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) hardening and survivability. Jaxon is a woman owned, small business dedicated to achieving survivability goals for the United States and our Allies. Jaxon designs, builds, tests and maintains EMP hardened structures for government and commercial clients around the world. Jaxon believes that we can best serve our country with people of integrity, who are fully dedicated to the pursuit of excellence.
COMPANY OF THE YEAR
In Jaxon’s very first year of existence in 2009 we were nominated as one of three Finalists for “The Outstanding Company of the Year” by the Colorado Springs Excellence in Industry awards council for Security and Defense Technology. At the time we were the only start-up company nominated for that honor.
PENTAGON’S NOMINATION FOR PROJECT OF THE YEAR
In our 3rd year, Jaxon key personnel (as well as representatives from our Program Office and our Prime) were nominated by the Pentagon’s DoD CIO National Leadership Command Capabilities Executive Management Board/Nuclear Command and Control and Communications Issues Working Group as finalists for the “Outstanding Performers to the Nuclear Command and Control (NC2)/Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) Community” 2012 Annual Award.
E3TEK Mitigation Technology is designed with advanced patent-pending technologies immune to EMP – providing the ultimate ability to maintain control of critical infrastructure when primary and emergency backup systems are powerless and failure is not an option.
E3TEK’s professional staff holds a variety of backgrounds in performing a wide array of R&D activities ranging from advanced Cyber Prevention and Protection Analytics to drone science. E3Tek has extensive lab experience from incubation of ideas to Technical Readiness Level 5.
E3TEK has collaborated with Universities and worked in the semi-conductor development, border protection analysis, dual-fuel technology for vehicles, to scientific experiment designs for NASA Mars landings. E3TEK has embarked in new control technologies to support Bio-Mass and utilization of less water and landfill advances.
ETS – LINDGREN is an innovator of systems and components for the detection, measurement and management of electromagnetic, magnetic, and acoustic energy. With more than 30 years of experience in design engineering, project management and building implementation worldwide, ETS-Lindgren is the preeminent provider of integrated EMP solutions. The company has 800 employees worldwide, offers on-site design, engineering and project management expertise with more than 30 years of experience and has more than 200,000 filters manufactured to date.
Some of ETS – LINDGREN’s Solutions include:
Non-Government Customers:
• Red Edge Pulse Protection (protects data equipment but not associated utilities)
• Level 2, Red Edge (fully independent and protected utilities for continuous operations during/after EMP event.)
Government Customers:
• DEI Enclosures for Government
• Series 81 Shielded Rooms for Government
• Welded Fabrication Enclosures for Government
• Series 101 Pan Form Rooms
• Architectural Shielding Material for Government
• Tempest Information Processing System (TIPS) Security Containers
• 5240 Table Top Test Cell for Government
Hardened Structures Hardened Shelters, LLC is a Construction Program Management firm. The Team consists of a core group of specially trained shelter engineers for shelter planning, shelter programming, shelter dynamics, architectural, structural engineering, blast engineering, EMP/HEMP shielding, CBRN, HVAC, electrical, security and alternative energy designs. The Hardened Structures Team has successfully delivered shelter projects world-wide since 1991.
Mission Secure (MSi) is a seasoned team of cyber security professionals, control system engineers, combat and business experts committed to protecting critical physical assets, and the control systems that monitor and operate them. MSi provides software and hardware solutions to cyber threats.
The Way Forward
Don’t wait on Washington to fix this!
- Since federal government and industry resolution are lagging, act regionally to harden your existing grid infrastructure and/or to establish new micro-grids hardened against all hazards.
Immediately educate key leaders and stakeholders in your region.
- Join InfraGard and expand/support state Secure the Grid Coalition teams.
- Consider your company joining the Secure the Grid Corporate Council.
- Schedule threat briefings for key leaders. Draw from as many independent sources as possible.
- Procure and provide available educational resources to as many decision makers as possible.
- Encourage executive branch leadership at state and local level to create an associated task force or working group to address this issue.
Remember policy initiatives require support and supervision.
- Adopt policy statements and gather grassroots and grasstops support stating regional/local/State governments and industry must adopt the policy and act to assure the regional grid will suffer no outage for longer than 30 days due to any type of attack. Make these policies known to your federal legislators.
- Take local initiatives (legislation, PUC rules, Executive Orders) to adopt this policy in law, regulation. Call for both prevention and reconstitution mandates.
- Set up incisive, ongoing oversight by state legislative committees and local government (county Boards of Supervisors, Mayors and City Councils) who should request monthly updates on industry and government steps to implement the policy adopted.
What should be done?
Ensure CURRENT grid infrastructure is hardened against ALL HAZARDS.
- Identify Critical Assets in your region and share information between proper agencies, update vulnerability assessments, PROTECT them from all hazards, especially physical attack – immediately.
- Recognize that transformers (large e.g. 500-765kv but also smaller sized) should be pre-manufactured and pre-positioned in a secure location – e.g. on a nearby military or national guard base – since these are essential to re-constitution. The military services in the Pentagon have previously indicated interest in storing critical grid reconstitution supplies on bases and helping industry move them into place following an outage.
- Public Service Commissioners must be involved and consider contracting independent expertise.
- Plan for response & recovery after a pro-longed power outage.
Address NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS in your region.
- Mitigate risks and create opportunities.
- Harden against ALL HAZARDS – including EMP – and work “black start” capabilities.
- Create fuel storage and fuel transportation plans to support generators.
Harden power to critical refineries (explore COGEN capabilities) in your region.
- Explore the opportunity for hardening COGEN facilities and creating “micro grids” surrounding these facilities to send power to local communities.
Add DOD installations in the Gulf South Region.
- Identify locations for ballistic missile early warning and missile defense.
- Aegis Ashore systems to cover early warning and missile defense from the southern U.S.
- Conduct islanding and create safe havens where possible.
- A critical first step strategy – U.S. Military bases and National Guard facilities should island from the vulnerable grid with independent on site power wherever possible, producing their own electricity.
- These “safe havens” can send power out to communities where ample, and assure the military can assist with maintaining order in civil society as well as help restoring the civilian grid.
- A well planned grid attack is likely to couple with a secondary attack, making military operations essential to defend our country.
Plan for prolonged blackouts in coordination with EMAs and National Guard.
- National Guard participation in “GridEx” exercises, “The Dupont Summit,” and “EarthEx.”
- Lean on support from Secure the Grid Coalition members.
Ensure FUTURE infrastructure investments are hardened against ALL HAZARDS.
- Identify opportunities for the creation of hardened micro-grids around key facilities that are critical for life support (such as water treatment, hospitals, communications facilities, etc.).
- Work with electric utility providers to have independent experts verify that future infrastructure investment is in fact hardened against all hazards.
