The New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) are establishing a partnership to promote and support innovation in the energy sector with an emphasis on protecting the electric power grid in the state of New York, Israel, and globally.
The plan supports New York's nation-leading clean energy and jobs agenda that is driving New York to a carbon-free economy and the recently enacted Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which creates the most aggressive climate change program in the United States. The partnership was one of the several announced recently by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.
The NYPA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the IEC pledging to conduct collaborative research on cyber and physical security, as well as in other areas of common interest. The joint-research effort positions New York as a leader in the essential area of cutting-edge energy innovation and cybersecurity.
The two state utilities will leverage their knowledge, services, and capacities to cooperate on the creation of joint enterprises, joint ventures, subcontracting, services contracts, management contracts, common research, and the exchange of technologies.
The intention is to protect the electric generation and transmission systems in New York and Israel from damage and disruption through the development of advanced cybersecurity means and methods with physical and internet of things (IoT) security protection and real-time asset information.
The utilities will undertake sustained efforts to promote and support innovation in integrated operational technology, information technology, IoT, cybersecurity integrated management, and critical asset information toward the protection of electric power grids. Further research may focus on sensors and communication, diagnostic and analytics, buildings and energy, distributed energy solutions, energy storage, grid modernization, microgrids, and electric vehicles.
"New York State and Israel are both established national leaders in power distribution and technology innovation and we share similar energy and climate goals," said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO. "Combining resources will allow us to take on a wider range of diverse projects that will further protect our power systems and advance grid reliability.
"The IEC, Israel's largest critical infrastructure corporation, has developed top notch knowhow and processes as well as vast physical and cyber security experience, because of exposure to a vast number of attacks from all over the world," said IEC chairman of the board of directors, Major General Yiftach Ron-Tal. "This MOU will significantly contribute to the cooperation and partnership between the IEC and the NYPA, will improve our defense capabilities, and will provide the basis to achieve progress in areas that are of vital interest to the two companies, and to the state of Israel and the United States."
The NYPA has been building on its business partnerships with Israeli firms over the last several years to advance new technology pilots in support of its strategy to become an end-to-end, fully digital utility.