Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER) released the key findings, proposed actions, and recommendations resulting from Viking Shadow, a multi-state energy emergency workshop co-hosted by DOE and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) on July 30-31, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota. The workshop assessed the ability of states to prepare for and respond to impacts from two separate scenarios: 1) a fuel supply disruption, and 2) a cyber event resulting in a long-term outage. In addition to the scenario sessions, the workshop included informative panel discussions featuring subject matter experts from the public and private sectors.
Workshop discussions covered familiar energy security topics and identified strategies helpful in addressing more difficult challenges within the region. These were itemized into an improvement plan to be used to resolve Viking Shadow’s findings. Some of the recurring themes discussed included creating more opportunities for education, training and workforce development; resilient communications during emergencies; regional coordination; individual preparedness; cybersecurity support for smaller utilities; and cross-sector interdependencies.
To view the full Viking Shadow After-Action Report, including the full improvement plan, attendees, and scenario details, click the following link.