Committee on Consumer Affairs
Committee on Critical Infrastructure
Committee on Electricity
Committee on Energy Resources and Environment
Committee on Gas
Committee on International Relations
Committee on Telecommunications
Committee on Water
Staff Subcommittee on Clean Coal
Staff Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs
Staff Subcommittee on Critical Infrastructure
Staff Subcommittee on Electricity
Staff Subcommittee on Electric Reliability
Staff Subcommittee on Energy Resources and the Environment
Staff Subcommittee on Executive Management
Staff Subcommittee on Gas
Staff Subcommittee on Information Services
Staff Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety
Staff Subcommittee on Telecommunications
Staff Subcommittee on Water
Subcommittee on Clean Coal
Subcommittee on Education and Research
Subcommittee on Nuclear Waste
Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety
Subcommittee on Supplier and Workforce Diversity
Task Force on Innovation
Task Force on Military Workforce Development
Task Force on Natural Gas Access and Expansion
Telecommunications Act Modernization (TeAM)
Washington Action
Clean Coal and Carbon Management
Consumer Affairs
Critical Infrastructure
Education and Research
Electricity
Electric Reliability
Energy Resources and the Environment
Executive Management
Gas
General Sessions
Information Services
Innovation
International Relations
Military Workforce Development
Nuclear Waste
Pipeline Safety
Supplier and Workforce Diversity
Telecommunications
Telecommunications Act Modernization (TeAM)
Washington Action
Water
This agenda is subject to change.
10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. |
Innovation and Cybersecurity — Exploring the Relationship between New Technology and New Risks (Joint Meeting with Task Force on Innovation) New technologies bring the potential of increased operational efficiency, cost reductions, and reduction in human error when technology is able to perform certain routine functions. The designers and manufacturers of these potential solutions are striving for products and services that deliver those efficiencies and cost savings. However, new technologies also introduce new risks. Utilities and their customers increasingly demand assurances that these operational efficiencies are not offset by an unacceptably greater risk of cyber-attack or due to vulnerabilities that have not been properly addressed throughout the supply chain—in the design, manufacturing, or distribution of such new technologies. As utilities increase vigilance against multiple forms of cyber threat, have advanced technology business strategies fully integrated cyber threat considerations? During this session, industry experts will discuss how these complex considerations are being addressed by product developers, manufacturers, and services providers, and suggest approaches to the strategic decision making required to maximize critical infrastructure reliability and resilience. Topics will include:
Moderator: Hon. Tim Echols, Georgia Panelists: Joe Doetzl, Cyber Security Practice Leader, Grid Automation, ABB Kurt Lee, Vice President, Strategic Accounts, Pwnie Express Steven Martin, Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, GE Energy Connections Kyle Seymour, President & CEO, S&C Electric |
1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m |
Critical Infrastructure Resource Center Presenter: Hon. Richard P. Mroz, New Jersey, Chair, Critical Infrastructure Committee |
1:45p.m. – 2:15 p.m. |
Partner Updates Presenters: Puesh Kumar, Director, Preparedness and Exercises, U.S. Department of Energy Joseph H. McClelland, Director, Office of Energy Infrastructure Security, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission |
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. |
Cyber Workforce: Strategies to Fill the Gap The nation’s cybersecurity workforce is at the forefront of protecting critical infrastructure from attack by a wide array of threat actors including nation-states, criminal gangs, and political hacktivists. The demand for skilled personnel is growing but experts suggest that the number of unfilled cybersecurity jobs will reach 1.8 million by 2020. Panelists will discuss how utilities are contending with the workforce shortage and its potential effects on reliability and security. The focus will be on utilities’ strategies to recruit, train, and retain cybersecurity professionals. Moderator: TBA Panelists: Gary Hayes, SVP/CIO, CenterPoint Energy Scott King, Director, Information Security, Sempra Utilities Rick Suttie, Center for Homeland Defense and Security, Naval Postgraduate School |
3:15p.m. – 4:15p.m. |
Innovations in Infrastructure Security: UAS Since the FAA’s new rules for unmanned aerial systems – commonly referred to as drones – went into effect last year, utilities have been investigating ways to leverage this new technology to improve performance and lower costs. Although benefits may be indisputable, implementation challenges exist. This session explores how utilities are solving those challenges amid an evolving regulatory landscape. Moderator: TBA Panelists: Thomas Camp, Technology Business Development Manager, Verizon Tom Guntrip, Director, Transportation Services, Southern California Edison Chris Hickling, Director, Government Relations, Edison Electric Institute |
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Tackling Infrastructure Interdependencies – Priorities, Strategies, and Tactics (Joint Session with Gas Committee) Cyber security continues to be a high-profile risk to electric and gas sector operations. Another high-profile risk is the growing interdependency between these sectors as electric generation becomes more and more reliant on natural gas to fuel its generation fleet. During this session, sector-specific as well as collaborative approaches and priorities to mitigating shared risks will be examined. New initiatives aimed at developing a robust information exchange between the sectors will be highlighted. Moderator: Hon. Dianne Solomon, New Jersey Panelists: Kimberly Denbow, Security, Operations & Engineering Services Director, American Gas Association Paul Roberti, Executive Director, Advisory Services - Strategy, Ernst & Young Marcus Sachs, SVP/CSO, North American Electric Reliability Corporation |