U.S. Department of Energy Explores Blockchain in Power Plant Security
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) had announced an electric grid security project had entered into the 2nd phase according to the press release on 10 April.
NETL had partnered up with the cybersecurity startup Taekion to launch a blockchain project that prevents cyberattack on power plants by using distributed ledger. The press release highlights an incident of cyberattack to a power plant in Ukraine in 2016 which caused a major power outrage in the winter months.
To enhance power plant security, Taekion plans to use blockchain keeping records of all sensor, actuator and device transactions. NETL added “Accurate information on the status of power plant operations is critical for electric grid security.”