Fired watchdog appeals to court

Russian Utility Grid Cyberattacks reveal DHS findings on Dragonfly/Energetic Bear breaching control rooms and ICS/SCADA via vendor supply-chain spear-phishing, threatening blackouts and critical infrastructure across U.S. power utilities through stolen credentials and reconnaissance.

Key Points

State-backed ops breaching utilities via vendors to reach ICS/SCADA, risking grid disruption and control-room access.

✅ Spear-phishing and watering-hole attacks on vendor networks

✅ Stolen credentials used to reach isolated ICS/SCADA

✅ Potential to trigger localized blackouts and service disruptions

Hackers working for Russia were able to gain access to the control rooms of US electric utilities last year, allowing them to cause blackouts, federal officials tell the Wall Street Journal.

The hackers -- working for a state-sponsored group previously identified as Dragonfly or Energetic Bear -- broke into utilities' isolated networks by hacking networks belonging to third-party vendors that had relationships with the power companies, the Department of Homeland Security said in a press briefing on Monday.

Officials said the campaign had claimed hundreds of victims and is likely continuing, the Journal reported.

"They got to the point where they could have thrown switches" to disrupt the flow power, Jonathan Homer, chief of industrial-control-system analysis for DHS, told the Journal.

"While hundreds of energy and non-energy companies were targeted, the incident where they gained access to the industrial control system was a very small generation asset that would not have had any impact on the larger grid if taken offline," the DHS said in a statement Tuesday. "Over the course of the past year as we continued to investigate the activity, we learned additional information which would be helpful to industry in defending against this threat."

Organizations running the nation's energy, nuclear and other critical infrastructure have become frequent targets for cyberattacks in recent years due to their ability to cause immediate chaos, whether it's starting a blackout or blocking traffic signals. These systems are often vulnerable because of antiquated software and the high costs of upgrading infrastructure.

The report comes amid heightened tension between Russia and the US over cybersecurity, alongside US condemnation of power grid hacking in recent months. Earlier this month, US special counsel Robert Mueller filed charges against 12 Russian hackers tied to cyberattacks on the Democratic National Committee.

Hackers compromised US power utility companies' corporate networks with conventional approaches, such as spear-phishing emails and watering-hole attacks as seen in breaches at power plants across the US that target a specific group of users by infecting websites they're known to visit, the newspaper reported. After gaining access to vendor networks, hackers turned their attention to stealing credentials for access to the utility networks and familiarizing themselves with facility operations, officials said, according to the Journal.

Homeland Security didn't identify the victims, the newspaper reports, adding that some companies may not know they had been compromised because the attacks used legitimate credentials to gain access to the networks.

Cyberattacks on electrical systems aren't an academic matter. In 2016, Ukraine's grid was disrupted by cyberattacks attributed to Russia, which is engaged in territorial disputes with the country over eastern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula. Russia has denied any involvement in targeting critical infrastructure.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in May designed to bolster the United States' cybersecurity by protecting federal networks, critical infrastructure and the public online. One section of the order focuses on protecting the grid like electricity and water, as well as financial, health care and telecommunications systems.

The Department of Homeland Security didn't respond to a request for comment.

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California clean electricity accelerates with renewables as solar and wind surge, battery storage strengthens grid resilience, natural gas declines, and coal fades, advancing SB 100 targets, carbon neutrality goals, and affordable, reliable power statewide.

Key Points

California clean electricity is the state's transition to renewable, zero-carbon power, scaling solar, wind and storage.

✅ Solar generation up nearly 20x since 2012

✅ Natural gas power down 20%; coal nearly phased out

✅ Battery storage shifts daytime surplus to evening demand

Data from the California Energy Commission (CEC) highlight California’s continued progress toward building a more resilient grid, achieving 100 percent clean electricity and meeting the state’s carbon neutrality goals.

Analysis of the state’s Total System Electric Generation report shows how California’s power mix has changed over the last decade. Since 2012:

Solar generation increased nearly twentyfold from 2,609 gigawatt-hours (GWh) to 48,950 GWh.

• Wind generation grew by 63 percent.
• Natural gas generation decreased 20 percent.
• Coal has been nearly phased-out of the power mix, and renewable electricity surpassed coal nationally in 2022 as well.

In addition to total utility generation, rooftop solar increased by 10 times generating 24,309 GWh of clean power in 2022. The state’s expanding fleet of battery storage resources also help support the grid by charging during the day using excess renewable power for use in the evening.

“This latest report card showing how solar energy boomed as natural gas powered electricity experienced a steady 20 percent decline over the last decade is encouraging,” said CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda. “Even as climate impacts become increasingly severe, California remains committed to transitioning away from polluting fossil fuels and delivering on the promise to build a future power grid that is clean, reliable and affordable.”

Senate Bill 100 (2018) requires 100 percent of California’s electric retail sales be supplied by renewable and zero-carbon energy sources by 2045. To keep the state on track, last year Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1020, establishing interim targets of 90 percent clean electricity by 2035 and 95 percent by 2040.

The state monitors progress through the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS), which tracks the power mix of retail sales, and regional peers such as Nevada's RPS progress offer useful comparison. The latest data show that in 2021 more than 37 percent of the state’s electricity came from RPS-eligible sources such as solar and wind, an increase of 2.7 percent compared to 2020. When combined with other sources of zero-carbon energy such as large hydroelectric generation and nuclear, nearly 59 percent of the state’s retail electricity sales came from nonfossil fuel sources.

The total system electric generation report is based on electric generation from all in-state power plants rated 1 megawatt (MW) or larger and imported utility-scale power generation. It reflects the percentage of a specific resource compared to all power generation, not just retail sales. The total system electric generation report accounts for energy used for water conveyance and pumping, transmission and distribution losses and other uses not captured under RPS.

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U.S. Grid Modernization is critical for renewable energy integration, EV adoption, climate resilience, and reliability, requiring transmission upgrades, inter-regional links, hardened substations, and smart grid investments to handle extreme weather and decarbonization targets.

Key Points

U.S. Grid Modernization upgrades power networks to improve reliability, integrate renewables, and support EV demand.

✅ $2T+ investment needed for transmission upgrades

✅ Extreme weather doubling outages since 2017

✅ Regulatory fragmentation slows inter-regional lines

After decades of struggle, the U.S. clean-energy business is booming, with soaring electric-car sales and fast growth in wind and solar power. That’s raising hopes for the fight against climate change.

All this progress, however, could be derailed, as the green revolution stalls without a massive overhaul of America’s antiquated electric infrastructure – a task some industry experts say requires more than $2 trillion. The current network of transmission wires, substations and transformers is decaying with age and underinvestment, a condition highlighted by catastrophic failures during increasingly frequent and severe weather events.

Power outages over the last six years have more than doubled in number compared to the previous six years, according to a Reuters examination of federal data. In the past two years, power systems have collapsed in Gulf Coast hurricanes, West Coast wildfires, Midwest heat waves and a Texas deep freeze and recurring Texas grid crisis risks, causing long and sometimes deadly outages.

Compounding the problem, the seven regional grid operators in the United States are underestimating the growing threat of severe weather caused by climate change, Reuters found in a review of more than 10,000 pages of regulatory documents and operators’ public disclosures. Their risk models, used to guide transmission-network investments, consider historical weather patterns extending as far back as the 1970s. None account for scientific research documenting today’s more extreme weather and how it can disrupt grid generation, transmission and fuel supplies simultaneously.

The decrepit power infrastructure of the world’s largest economy is among the biggest obstacles to expanding clean energy and combating climate change on the ambitious schedule laid out by U.S. President Joe Biden. His administration promises to eliminate or offset carbon emissions from the power sector by 2035 and from the entire U.S. economy by 2050. Such rapid clean-energy growth would pressure the nation’s grid in two ways: Widespread EV adoption will spark a huge surge in power demand; and increasing dependence on renewable power creates reliability problems on days with less sun or wind, as seen in Texas, where experts have outlined reliability improvements that address these challenges.

The U.S. transmission network has seen outages double in recent years amid more frequent and severe weather events, driven by climate change and a utility supply-chain crunch that slows critical repairs. The system needs a massive upgrade to handle expected growth in clean energy and electric cars. 

“Competition from renewables is being strangled without adequate and necessary upgrades to the transmission network,” said Simon Mahan, executive director of the Southern Renewable Energy Association, which represents solar and wind companies.

The federal government, however, lacks the authority to push through the massive grid expansion and modernization needed to withstand wilder weather and accommodate EVs and renewable power. Under the current regulatory regime, and amid contentious electricity pricing proposals in recent years, the needed infrastructure investments are instead controlled by a Byzantine web of local, state and regional regulators who have strong political incentives to hold down spending, according to Reuters interviews with grid operators, federal and state regulators, and executives from utilities and construction firms.

“Competition from renewables is being strangled without adequate and necessary upgrades to the transmission network.”

Paying for major grid upgrades would require these regulators to sign off on rate increases likely to spark strong opposition from consumers and local and state politicians, who are keen to keep utility bills low. In addition, utility companies often fight investments in transmission-network improvements because they can result in new connections to other regional grids that could allow rival companies to compete on their turf, even as coal and nuclear disruptions raise brownout risks in some regions. With the advance of green energy, those inter-regional connections will become ever more essential to move power from far-flung solar and wind installations to population centers.

The power-sharing among states and regions with often conflicting interests makes it extremely challenging to coordinate any national strategy to modernize the grid, said Alison Silverstein, an independent industry consultant and former senior adviser to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

“The politics are a freakin’ nightmare,” she said.

The FERC declined to comment for this story. FERC Commissioner Mark Christie, a Republican, acknowledged the limitations of the agency’s power over the U.S. grid in an April 21 agency meeting involving transmission planning and costs.

“We can’t force states to do anything,” Christie said.

The White House and Energy Department did not comment in response to detailed questions from Reuters on the Biden administration’s plans to tackle U.S. grid problems and their impact on green-energy expansion.

The administration said in an April news release that it plans to offer $2.5 billion in grants for grid-modernization projects as part of Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure package, complementing a proposed clean electricity standard to accelerate decarbonization over the next decade. A modernized grid, the release said, is the “linchpin” of Biden’s clean-energy agenda.

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Saamis Solar Park advances Medicine Hat's renewable energy strategy, as DP Energy secures AUC approval for North America's largest urban solar, repurposing contaminated land; capacity phased from 325 MW toward an initial 75 MW.

Key Points

A 325 MW solar project in Medicine Hat, Alberta, repurposing contaminated land; phased to 75 MW under city ownership.

✅ City acquisition scales capacity to 75 MW in phased build

✅ AUC approval enables construction and grid integration

✅ Reuses phosphogypsum-impacted land near fertilizer plant

DP Energy, an Irish renewable energy developer, has finalized the sale of the Saamis Solar Park—a 325 megawatt (MW) solar project—to the City of Medicine Hat in Alberta, Canada. This transaction marks the development of North America's largest urban solar initiative, while mirroring other Canadian clean-energy deals such as Canadian Solar project sales that signal market depth.

Project Development and Approval

DP Energy secured development rights for the Saamis Solar Park in 2017 and obtained a development permit in 2021. In 2024, the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) granted approval for construction and operation, reflecting Alberta's solar growth trends in recent years, paving the way for the project's advancement.

Strategic Acquisition by Medicine Hat

The City of Medicine Hat's acquisition of the Saamis Solar Park aligns with its commitment to enhancing renewable energy infrastructure. Initially, the project was slated for a 325 MW capacity, which would significantly bolster the city's energy supply. However, the city has proposed scaling the project to a 75 MW capacity, focusing on a phased development approach, and doing so amid challenges with solar expansion in Alberta that influence siting and timing. This adjustment aims to align the project's scale with the city's current energy needs and strategic objectives.

Utilization of Contaminated Land

An innovative aspect of the Saamis Solar Park is its location on a 1,600-acre site previously affected by industrial activity. The land, near Medicine Hat's fertilizer plant, was previously compromised by phosphogypsum—a byproduct of fertilizer production. DP Energy's decision to develop the solar park on this site exemplifies a productive reuse of contaminated land, transforming it into a source of clean energy.

Benefits to Medicine Hat

The development of the Saamis Solar Park is poised to deliver multiple benefits to Medicine Hat:

• Energy Supply Enhancement: The project will augment the city's energy grid, much like municipal solar projects that provide local power, providing a substantial portion of its electricity needs.

• Economic Advantages: The city anticipates financial savings by reducing carbon tax liabilities, as lower-cost solar contracts have shown competitiveness, through the generation of renewable energy.

• Environmental Impact: By investing in renewable energy, Medicine Hat aims to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to global sustainability efforts.

DP Energy's Ongoing Commitment

Despite the sale, DP Energy maintains a strong presence in Canada, where Indigenous-led generation is expanding, with a diverse portfolio of renewable energy projects, including solar, onshore wind, storage, and offshore wind initiatives. The company continues to focus on sustainable development practices, striving to minimize environmental impact while maximizing energy production efficiency.

The transfer of the Saamis Solar Park to the City of Medicine Hat represents a significant milestone in renewable energy development. It showcases effective land reutilization, strategic urban planning, and a shared commitment to sustainable energy solutions, aligning with federal green electricity procurement that reinforces market demand. This project not only enhances the city's energy infrastructure but also sets a precedent for integrating large-scale renewable energy projects within urban environments.

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IEC-PETL Electricity Agreement streamlines grid management, debt settlement, and bank guarantees, shifting power supply, transmission, and distribution to PETL via IEC-built sub-stations, bolstering energy cooperation, utility billing, and payment assurance in PA areas.

Key Points

A 15-year deal transferring PA grid operations to PETL, settling legacy debt, and securing payments with bank guarantees.

✅ NIS 915 million repaid in 48 installments.

✅ PETL assumes distribution, O&M, and sub-station ownership.

✅ 15-year, NIS 2.8b per year supply and services contract.

The Palestinian Authority will pay Israel Electric NIS 915 million and take over management of its grid through Palestinian electricity supplier PETL.

The Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) (TASE: ELEC.B22) and Palestinian electricity supplier PETL have signed a draft commercial agreement under which the Palestinian Authority's (PA) debt of almost NIS 1 billion will be repaid. The agreement also transfers actual management of the supply of electricity to Palestinian customers from IEC to the Palestinian electricity authority, enabling consideration of distributed solutions such as a virtual power plant program in future planning.

Up until now, the IEC was unable to actually collect debts for electricity from Palestinian customers, because the connection with them was through the PA. Responsibility for collection will now be exclusively in Palestinian hands, with the PA providing hundreds of millions of shekels in bank guarantees for future debts. The agreement, which is valid for 15 years, amounts to an estimated NIS 2.8 billion a year, as of now.

IEC will sell electricity and related services to PETL through four high-tension sub-stations built by IEC for PETL and through high and low-tension connection points, similar to large interconnector projects like the Lake Erie Connector, for the purpose of distribution and supply of the electricity by PETL or an entity on its behalf to consumers in PA territory. PETL will have sole operational and maintenance responsibility for distribution and supply and ownership of the four sub-stations.

NIS 915 million in 48 payments

According to the IEC announcement, the settlement was reached following negotiations following the signing of an agreement in principle in September 2016 by the minister of finance, the government coordinator of activities in the territories, and the Palestinian minister for civilian affairs. The parties reached commercial understandings yesterday that made possible today's signing of the first commercial document of its kind regulating commercial relations - the sales of electricity - between the parties. The agreement will go into effect after it is approved by the IEC board of directors, the Public Utilities Authority (electricity), reflecting regulatory oversight akin to Ontario industrial electricity pricing consultations, and the IDF Chief Electrical Staff Officer. Representatives of IEC, the Ministry of Finance, the Public Utilities Authority (electricity), the government coordinator of activities in the territories, the civilian authority, the PA government, and PETL took part in the negotiations.

The agreement also settles the PA's historical debt to IEC. The PA will begin payment of NIS 915 million in debt for consumption of electricity before September 2016 to IEC Jerusalem District Ltd. in 48 equal installments after the final signing, as stipulated in the agreement in principle signed by the Israeli government and the PA on September 13, 2016.

The PA's debt for electricity amounted to almost NIS 2 billion in 2016. The initial spadework for the current debt settlement was accomplished in that year, after the parties reached understandings on writing off NIS 500 million of the Palestinian debt. The PA paid NIS 600 million in October 2016, and the remainder will be paid now.

It was also reported that an arrangement of securities and guarantees to ensure payment to IEC under the agreement had been settled, including the past debt. IEC will obtain a bank guarantee and a PA guarantee, in addition to the existing collection mechanisms at the company's disposal.

Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon said, "Signing the commercial agreement is a historic step completing the agreement signed by the governments in September 2016. Strengthening economic cooperation between Israel and the PA is above all an Israeli security interest. The agreement will ensure future payments to the IEC and reinforce its financial position. I congratulate the negotiating teams for the completion of their task."

Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Resources Dr. Yuval Steinitz said, "In my meeting last year with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah in Jenin, we agreed that it was necessary to settle the debt and formalize relations between IEC and the PA. The settlement signed today is a breakthrough, both in the measures for payment of the Palestinian debt to IEC and Israel and in arranging future relations to prevent more debts from emerging in the future. With the signing of the agreement, we will be able to make progress with the Palestinians in developing a modern electrical grid, aligning with regional initiatives like the Cyprus electricity highway, according to the model of the sub-station we inaugurated in Jenin."

IEC chairperson Yiftah Ron Tal said, "This is a historic event. In this agreement, IEC is correcting for the first time a historical distortion of accumulated debt without guarantees, ability to collect it, or control over the amount of debt. This anchor agreement not only constitutes an unprecedented financial achievement; it also constitutes an important milestone in regulating electricity commercial relations between the Israeli and Palestinian electric companies, comparable to cross-border efforts such as the Ireland-France interconnector in Europe."

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TagEnergy France Battery Storage Platform enables grid flexibility, stability, and resilience across France, storing wind and solar power, balancing supply and demand, reducing curtailment, and supporting carbon neutrality with fast-response, utility-scale capacity.

Key Points

A utility-scale BESS in France that stores renewable energy to stabilize the grid, boost flexibility, and cut emissions.

✅ Several hundred MW utility-scale capacity for peak shaving.

✅ Fast-response frequency regulation and voltage support.

✅ Reduces fossil peaker use and renewable curtailment.

In a significant leap toward enhancing France’s renewable energy infrastructure, TagEnergy has officially launched the country's largest battery storage platform. This cutting-edge project is set to revolutionize the way France manages its electricity grid by providing much-needed flexibility, stability, and resilience, particularly as the country ramps up its use of renewable energy sources and experiences negative prices in France during periods of oversupply,

The new battery storage platform, with a total capacity of several hundred megawatts, will play a crucial role in facilitating the country's transition to a greener, more sustainable energy future. It marks a significant step forward in addressing one of the most pressing challenges of renewable energy: how to store and dispatch power generated from intermittent sources such as wind and solar energy.

The Role of Battery Storage in Renewable Energy

Battery storage systems are key to unlocking the full potential of renewable energy sources. While wind and solar power are increasingly important in reducing reliance on fossil fuels, their intermittent nature—dependent on weather conditions and time of day—presents a challenge for grid operators. Without an efficient way to store surplus energy produced during peak generation periods, when negative electricity prices can emerge, the grid can become unstable, leading to waste or even blackouts.

This is where TagEnergy’s new platform comes into play. The state-of-the-art battery storage system will capture excess energy when production is high, and then release it back into the grid during periods of high demand, supporting peak demand strategies or when renewable generation dips. This capability will smooth out the fluctuations in renewable energy production and ensure a constant, reliable supply of power to consumers. By doing so, the platform will not only stabilize the grid but also increase the overall efficiency and utilization of renewable energy sources.

The Scale and Scope of the Platform

TagEnergy's battery storage platform is one of the largest in France, with a capacity capable of supporting a wide range of energy storage needs across the country. The platform’s size is designed to handle significant energy loads, making it a critical piece of infrastructure for grid stability. The project will primarily focus on large-scale energy storage, but it will also incorporate cutting-edge technologies to ensure fast response times and high efficiency in energy release.

France’s energy mix is undergoing a transformation as the country aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. With ambitious plans to expand renewable energy production, particularly from offshore wind such as North Sea wind potential, solar, and hydropower, energy storage becomes essential for managing supply and demand. The new battery platform is poised to provide the necessary storage capabilities to keep up with this shift toward greener, more sustainable energy production.

Economic and Environmental Impact

The launch of the battery storage platform is a major boon for the French economy, creating jobs and attracting investment in the clean energy sector. The project is expected to generate hundreds of construction and operational jobs, providing a boost to local economies, particularly in the areas where the storage facilities are located.

From an environmental perspective, the platform’s ability to store and release renewable energy will greatly reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. The efficient storage of solar and wind energy will mean that more clean electricity can be used, with solar-plus-storage cheaper than conventional power in Germany underscoring cost competitiveness, even during times when these renewable sources are not producing at full capacity. This will help France meet its energy and climate goals, including reducing carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

The development also aligns with broader European Union goals to increase the share of renewables in the energy mix. As EU nations work toward their collective climate commitments, energy storage projects like TagEnergy’s platform will be vital in helping the continent achieve a greener, more sustainable future.

A Step Toward Energy Independence

The new battery storage platform also has the potential to enhance France’s energy independence. By increasing the storage capacity for renewable energy, France will be able to rely less on imported fossil fuels and energy from neighboring countries, particularly during periods of high demand. Energy independence is a key strategic goal for many nations, as it reduces vulnerability to geopolitical tensions and fluctuating energy prices.

In addition to bolstering national security, the platform supports France’s energy transition by facilitating the deployment of more renewable energy. As storage capacity increases, grid operators will be able to integrate larger quantities of intermittent renewable energy without sacrificing reliability. This will enable France to meet its long-term energy goals while also supporting the EU’s ambitious climate targets.

Future of Battery Storage in France and Beyond

TagEnergy’s launch of France’s largest battery storage platform is a monumental achievement in the country’s energy transition. However, it is unlikely to be the last of its kind. The success of this project could pave the way for similar initiatives across France and the wider European market. As battery storage technology advances, and affordable solar batteries scale up, the capacity for storing and utilizing renewable energy will only grow, unlocking new possibilities for clean, affordable power.

Looking ahead, TagEnergy plans to expand its operations and further invest in renewable energy solutions. The French market, along with growing demand for storage solutions across Europe, presents significant opportunities for further development in the energy storage sector. With the continued integration of renewable energy into the grid, large-scale storage platforms will play an increasingly critical role in shaping a low-carbon future.

The launch of TagEnergy’s battery storage platform marks a pivotal moment for France’s renewable energy landscape. By providing critical storage capacity and ensuring the reliable delivery of clean electricity, the platform will help the country meet its ambitious climate and energy goals. As technology advances and the global transition to renewables accelerates, with over 30% of global electricity now coming from renewables, projects like this one will play an essential role in creating a sustainable, low-carbon energy future.

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