§18723 Rural and municipal utility advanced cybersecurity grant and technical assistance program

Summary

Set up a program called the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program within 180 days after November 15, 2021. The Secretary must create it working with the Secretary of Homeland Security and after talking with FERC, NERC, and the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council. The program will give competitive grants, technical help, and cooperative agreements to eligible local and rural electric utilities so they can better defend against, find, handle, and recover from cyber attacks. The main goals are to put advanced cybersecurity tools in place and to get more eligible utilities sharing cyber-threat information. Key terms in one line each: advanced cybersecurity technology — tools or services that strengthen utility cyber defenses; bulk-power system — the large electric grid system (defined elsewhere); eligible entity — rural electric co-ops, municipally or publicly owned utilities, utilities owned by state or local agencies, a nonprofit working with at least six such utilities, or an investor-owned utility selling under 4,000,000 megawatt hours per year; Program — the grant and assistance effort named above. The Secretary must run a competitive process with rules and a formula, notify all eligible entities about opportunities, and may enter cooperative agreements. Priority goes to utilities with few cybersecurity resources, those owning assets critical to bulk-power reliability, or those owning defense-critical electric infrastructure. Information given to the government that could harm electric system security must be kept confidential and not released under federal, state, local, or tribal public-record laws. Up to $250,000,000 is authorized for use from fiscal years 2022 through 2026.