ESMO 2019 - Physical Security of the Grid and Substation

Dominion began planning an aggressive substation security program. Developing a comprehensive and successful resiliency strategy requires looking at the big picture. Resiliency planning is something Dominion had been doing for years in the wake of Hurricane Isabel, but the Metcalf attack precipitated the utility’s development of a multifaceted approach to securing its substations. To the outside observer, Dominion’s substation security program may appear to be just hardened perimeter fences. However, the scope of the plan goes much deeper. When it comes to substation security, there is no panacea or one-size-fits-all solution that works for every utility owner or operator. The correct security solution will vary from state to state or region to region. This point is emphasized by the structure of the new North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) CIP-014 standard on security for critical substations.