Please complete the following project abstract submission by COB Wednesday, December 20.
DOE’s Rural and Municipal Advanced Utility Cybersecurity (RMUC) program is making funding available for utilities to enhance the cybersecurity of the electricity sector. APPA plans to apply for funding on behalf of members who are planning projects to enhance their cybersecurity through a variety of methods, including technology installations, technical assistance, training, and others.
APPA will assess project abstracts to determine the suitability of your projects to the program objectives. (Utilities who submitted projects deemed out-of-scope under previous APPA cooperative agreements or for whom funding was not available, are encouraged to resubmit their projects). APPA will be in touch with you on next steps once we review the submissions.
The Topic Areas to which APPA is applying are as follows (please keep these in mind as you fill out the abstract):
- Topic Area 2: Strengthening the Peer-to-Peer and Not-for-Profit Technical Assistance Ecosystem
- Supports investments that strengthen the community of utilities and not-for-profit partners that are currently providing information technology (IT) and cybersecurity support to eligible electric cooperative and municipal utilities and that meet the legislative intent to enhance the security posture of electric utilities.
- Applicants must have been providing IT and/or cybersecurity technical assistance services to eligible utilities for at least one year prior to the FOA application deadline.
- DOE is interested in projects that: result in improvements to the cybersecurity posture of utility operational systems; propose holistic solutions that include investments in staff and training and improvements to policies and procedures; maximize the security capabilities of existing tools and technologies already installed; result in an increase in the participation of eligible utilities in threat information sharing programs; and, use a project design and management approach that ensures the applicant will continue to provide products and services, and the participating utilities will continue to maintain the effectiveness of implemented solutions, after the project funding ends.
- Topic Area 3: Increasing Access to Technical Assistance and Training for Utilities with Limited Cybersecurity Resources
- Supports eligible not-for-profit entities and utilities to increase the scope and quality of appropriate, affordable, and accessible services provided to eligible utilities with limited cybersecurity resources, to increase the number of eligible utilities with limited cybersecurity resources that benefit from these services, and that enhance the security posture of electric utilities with limited cybersecurity resources.
- Applicants must have been providing IT and/or cybersecurity technical assistance services to eligible utilities for at least one year prior to the FOA application deadline.
- DOE is interested in projects that: include a high proportion of participating utilities with limited cybersecurity resources; increase the participation of eligible utilities in cybersecurity threat information sharing programs; use a project design and management approach that ensures the applicant will continue to provide services, and the participating utilities will continue to maintain the effectiveness of cybersecurity improvements, after the project funding ends; and, create a documented replicable, scalable model for delivering cybersecurity services that can be used by other eligible entities.
Note: If DOE selects APPA to submit a final application, participating utilities will be asked to submit a letter of intent for the full funding application. Please decide whether you can submit such a letter, if APPA is selected to submit a final application.