Advanced Cybersecurity Technology (ACT) 1 Prize
Pays cash prizes and technical assistance to utilities that harden their cybersecurity.
A three-phase DOE competition run through NREL: Commitment, Planning and Implementation, each ending in a prize award. Winners also get a technical assistance provider to help build and carry out a cybersecurity roadmap. Continuation beyond Phase 1 is pending administration guidance.
Open to smaller electric utilities — co-ops, municipal providers and small investor-owned companies — that lack in-house cyber defenses, plus utilities serving military sites. Looks for utilities ready to assess their risk exposure and commit to hardening systems, staff training and governance.
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