Building and maintaining a hardened, resilient and secure grid of the future is essential for our nation to function at its best in a modern society. The electric power grid faces an increasing number of hazards and threats – whether they are in the form of severe storms or cyberattacks. In the face of those challenges, the U.S. Department of Energy is committed to working with the interagency as well as partners in Canada to ensure the reliable and secure delivery of electricity throughout North America.
As part of the Obama Administration’s ongoing commitment to protecting America’s critical infrastructure, the White House today announced the publication of the Joint U.S.-Canada Electric Grid Security and Resilience Strategy and U.S. and Canadian Action Plans. This important milestone is the latest example of the United States’ strong relationship with Canada, and our shared commitment to strengthen North American energy security, accelerate clean energy development, and promote sustainable energy development and economic growth.
Through three strategic goals – to protect the grid and enhance preparedness, manage contingencies and enhance response and recovery efforts and build a more secure and resilient future electric grid – the joint strategy and corresponding U.S. National Electric Grid Security and Resilience Action Plan will help align cross-border efforts to reduce systemic risk to the electric grid.
Joint efforts between the United States and Canada on grid security originated during a March 2016 visit to the United States by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. During his visit, both countries agreed to develop a joint strategy.
The development of the strategy has been directed by the White House and co-led by the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability and the Energy Policy and Systems Analysis office at the Department of Energy and the Department of Homeland Security, in close collaboration with our Canadian colleagues, industry, the Electricity Sector Coordinating Council, the North American Reliability Corporation, and federal partners.
Taking a shared approach to risk management and working more closely together will allow the U.S. and Canada to build a more secure and resilient electric grid that can better withstand hazards and recover more effectively from disruptions. Though this work is complex and will require numerous actions and ongoing collaboration, the U.S. Department of Energy stands ready to implement the Joint Strategy and the U.S. Action Plan and make this strategy a reality.