The American Public Power Association (APPA) wanted to make municipal electric utilities aware of an article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal last week entitled “Russia Hacks Its Way Into U.S. Utilities” and provide you with basic information in case you receive any inquiries.

This story, which may be the first in a series, was prompted by a briefing by DHS a week ago providing more details on an issue that was first raised in 2017, when our federal government partners informed grid operators of a threat to the energy and manufacturing sectors. This incident did NOT have any operational impacts. The APPA continues to work across the sector and with our government partners to protect the grid from this threat as well as other cyber and physical threats.

In March 2018 when the U.S. government announced sanctions against Russian cyber actors, the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) provided detailed indicators of compromise to ensure electric utilities are prepared to protect their networks. Information sharing is a critical component of the strong industry/government partnership that exists through the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council, and vital to protecting the grid.

The APPA and the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities encourage electric members to consider having someone from your utility participate in on one of the upcoming DHS Russian government cyber activity briefings detailed here:

https://www.us-cert.gov/ccubedvp/events.

Any questions may be directed to Russell Saffell, Director of Member Security & Critical Infrastructure Protection – rsaffell@iamu.org, 515.289.1999 (office) or 515.988.8686 (cell).

The Annual APPA Legislative Rally is coming up February 26 - 28, 2018. Make your voices heard and help to shape federal legislation that positively affects local public power.

If you would like to attend and would like help arranging meetings with the Iowa legislative delegation, please contact Jen Cronin at jcronin@iamu.org. Even if you plan to make your own meeting arrangements, if you’re planning to attend the rally, please let Jen know.

For more information on the rally, click here.

The American Public Power Association's Academy is offering a series of two webinars on FEMA's Public Assistance Grant Program. The program provides reimbursement of costs associated with debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair and restoration of damaged facilities. But, this disaster assistance is subject to eligibility rules applicable to the applicant, facility, work, and cost. Through this series, attendees will learn about procurement requirements, how to avoid common mistakes that can lead to disallowance of funding, what to expect if you are targeted for an audit, and about FEMA's appeals process.

• Webinar #1: FEMA Basics for the Municipal Utility (Nov. 14)
  This webinar will explore issues faced by public power utilities when recovering from a major disaster, the process of documenting your damages, and the steps that can be taken before a disaster strikes that will make recovery efforts easier for your utility.
  

• Webinar #2: Avoid Disaster after a Disaster: FEMA/Federal Procurement Guidelines (Nov. 28)
  In this webinar, hear about FEMA and federal procurement guidelines that will help you avoid procurement mistakes that could result in the deobligation of FEMA funding. Learn ways to improve regulatory compliance when designing and executing procurement and contracting processes involved in FEMA disaster grant funding.

Series Speaker

• Bill Riley, Managing Director, Witt O'Brien's, Washington, D.C

Registration

• Individual webinars: $99 for Association members; $199 for nonmembers

• The entire 2-part series: $150 for Association members; $300 for nonmembers

Contact

• Questions contact EducationInfo@PublicPower.org.