Introducing the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator
An exciting new initiative has been created by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to catalyze the development of cybersecurity solutions for the nation’s clean energy grid of the future. The Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator brings together federal infrastructure and expertise, asset owners in the energy sector, and technology innovators in a way that has not yet been done before.
This new program comes at a time when cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure are evolving fast—and as the nation works towards a zero-emissions future. While new grid devices are rapidly being connected to the Internet of Things, which benefits consumers through choice, opportunity, and clean energy resources, such innovations can expose new risks and vulnerabilities that are not yet well understood. A disruptive approach to rapidly infuse cybersecurity innovation into renewable energy systems, without delaying time-to-market, is needed to outpace the speed of emerging threats to our evolving energy infrastructure.
“The Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator offers a strategic opportunity for private and public stakeholders to meet the national need for energy sector cybersecurity, while accelerating innovation and adoption,” said Jonathan White, director of NREL’s Cybersecurity Program Office. “If we are to be successful in the deployment of clean energy technologies at scale, we must ensure that our energy systems are secure and resilient to disruption—and must always be several steps ahead of our adversaries.”
Experts from the DOE Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) and the DOE Office of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EERE) will serve as a federal advisory board within the program. Strategic direction and cost-sharing will be provided by an industry-led steering committee, including experts from Xcel Energy, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, and other utilities encouraged to join in the near future. As a result, the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator will allow technology startups to exit with competitive experience, new partnership opportunities, and professional evaluation of the most urgent cybersecurity challenges related to modern energy systems.
“Xcel Energy is a clean energy leader that serves millions of electric and gas customers across eight states, and we are committed to provide, safe, reliable and affordable service. Given the critical nature of the service we provide, cybersecurity is a crucial and ever-evolving part of our business,” said Jamey Sample, vice president and chief security and privacy officer for Xcel Energy. “We are pleased to invest in this effort, partnering with other companies and agencies to fight emerging cyber-threats and put our customers’ security needs first. Through this collaborative effort to share intelligence and resources, we can more effectively protect our customers and the entire energy grid.”
DOE and NREL have made significant investments in validation capabilities that individual asset owners or technology innovators could not field on their own. This public-private collaboration means asset owners of all sizes and types can benefit by jointly performing and learning from cybersecurity evaluations conducted in NREL’s neutral third-party environment.
NREL’s Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) cyber range, developed with support from EERE, will be used to evaluate each cohort’s cybersecurity solutions. The ARIES cyber range is capable of generating entire systems in a virtual world for threat analysis and evaluation powered by the Cyber-Energy Emulation Platform. Facilitated by expert NREL scientists, this virtual world allows participating tech companies and asset owners to validate cybersecurity technologies against the most critical cyber threat scenarios. As one of the most advanced simulation environments, the ARIES cyber range provides unparalleled real-time situational awareness and visualization to evaluate renewable energy system defenses with connection to over 20 MW of energy system hardware.
“The cybersecurity accelerator allows defenders to potentially use technology to get ahead of threat actors,” said Jeffrey Baumgartner, director of Security and Resilience at Berkshire Hathaway Energy. “Utilities, startups, and well-established cyber companies can partner to stress-test disruptive security technologies within the context of the full complexity of the grid. The accelerator partnership and NREL’s ARIES cyber range can combine to expedite cybersecurity technology adoption for critical infrastructure.”
This new initiative is the beginning of a visionary path that accelerates cyber innovation for modern, renewable energy technologies around high-priority cybersecurity risks to the energy sector.
Utilities and solution providers are invited to get involved. Learn more by reading the DOE press release and visiting the Clean Energy Cybersecurity Accelerator webpage.
Article courtesy of NREL.
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If you haven’t noticed, Genesis is quickly making a name for itself in the US. The luxury automaker now has 60 sales outlets as it expands into new US states. With new EVs launching, Genesis is eyeing a bigger share of the US luxury market.
Hyundai Motor Group’s Genesis brand is quietly emerging as a powerhouse in the US luxury market. Genesis marked its entry into the luxury segment in 2008 as a Hyundai-branded model.
In 2015, Hyundai announced Genesis would become an independent luxury brand. Since launching its first vehicle in the US, the luxury brand’s sales have surged from 7,000 in 2016 to over 69,000 last year. It even outsold Nissan’s Infiniti.
According to Genesis, this is just the start. The Korean luxury brand wants an even bigger slice of the market as it eyes rivals like Porsche.
A big reason behind the brand’s confidence is its new lineup of stylishly electric models. Genesis sells three EVs in the US: The GV60, Electrified G80, and Electrified GV70.
After introducing the Electrified GV70 just last year, the electric SUV is already Genesis’ top-selling EV in the US. According to Kelley Blue Book, Genesis sold 2,343 electric GV70 models in the US through September.
Genesis eyes a bigger share of the US luxury market
Altogether, the luxury brand’s EV sales reached over 4,600 through the first nine months of 2024, topping Porsche (4,291) and Volvo (3,644).
Genesis made a statement at the LA Auto Show, unveiling the updated 2026 Electrified GV70. The luxury electric SUV now includes more range and an NACS port so drivers can charge at Tesla Superchargers. It will go on sale in the first half of 2025.
Meanwhile, Genesis showcased its new GV60 Magma Concept at the event, its first dedicated high-performance EV. The brand sees its Magma performance brand rivaling that of Geman luxury brands like Mercedes AMG, BMW M, and Audi RS.
The Genesis GV60 Magma EV will launch next year, spearheading the brand’s “expansion into the realm of high-performance vehicles.”
Genesis enhanced the battery and motor while fine-tuning the chassis, thermodynamics, and profile for more power and efficiency.
It also features an aggressive new design, sitting much lower and wider than the current GV60 model. Genesis added a Magma-exclusive sound system to give it a sports car-like feel in the cockpit.
In April, we got our first look at the G80 EV Magma concept, which could be a potential challenger to Tesla’s Model S Plaid and the Porsche Taycan GT Turbo.
The luxury brand is expected to launch its flagship electric three-row SUV next year, the GV90. Genesis previewed the ultra-luxury EV in March after unveiling the Neolun concept.
Genesis now has 60 sales bases in the US, with new stores in Washington, Minnesota, New York, and Florida. It’s also building 30 in Canada as it expands its presence in the North American luxury market.
The luxury brand is opening a new dedicated design center in California. The “Genesis Design California” will open in the first half of 2025 as it builds out its US network.
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A rumor spreading like wildfire on social media claims BYD will be taking over NIO (NYSE: NIO) as the EV giant gobbles up market share in China. The rumor was posted by a suspected BYD employee, but NIO is denying the claim.
BYD acquiring NIO would be a massive move as China’s leading EV maker continues to dominate the market. But that’s not going to happen.
According to CnEVPost, NIO’s assistant vice president for branding and communications, Ma Lin, denied the rumors that BYD is taking over the company on Friday.
Ma posted a screenshot on social media asking BYD’s general manager of branding and PR, Li Yunfei if the person who posted the fake rumor was an employee.
Earlier today, the suspected employee claimed BYD and NIO were setting up a joint venture. In a Weibo post, the suspect said BYD would have majority control of the partnership with a 51% share while NIO would get the remaining 49% ownership.
Ma told Li that if it was, in fact, a BYD employee, he needed to issue an official clarification and apologize. If not, they can get the police involved together. Li also denied the rumors, saying the claim was seriously untrue.
NIO denies rumors that BYD is taking over the company
This is not the first time rumors surfaced that BYD will be taking over NIO, but because it is a suspected employee, the post has garnered more attention.
BYD is on a major hiring spree as it ramps up production to meet the higher demand. The EV giant now has over 900,000 employees, making it by far the largest A-share listed company in China.
After selling over 500,000 vehicles for the first time in a single month in October, BYD’s surge is heating up as the EV giant expands overseas for growth.
October was BYD’s fifth consecutive record sales month as it closes in on auto leaders like Ford in global deliveries.
NIO is also gaining momentum, with sales topping the 20,000 mark for the sixth straight month in October. With output of its new lower-priced Onvo L60 electric SUV ramping up, NIO expects to continue seeing higher demand.
Ma said on Friday that NIO’s “recent situation is quite good.” The company’s head of PR added, “Cash flow turned positive in the third quarter, gross profit improved in October, earning an extra RMB 100 million, and Onvo (deliveries) will exceed 10,000 in December.”
NIO is launching its third brand, Firefly, with deliveries kicking off in the first half of 2025. The company expects sales to double next year as it works to become profitable by 2026.
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Hyundai Motors is recalling 145,235 EVs and other “electrified” vehicles in the US, citing concerns about a loss of driving power, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday.
The NHTSA announced this morning that the recall affects selected IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 EVs, as well as certain luxury Genesis models, including the GV60, GV70, and G80 electrified variants, from the 2022-2025 model years, Reuters reported.
It looks like the issue stems from “the integrated charging control units in these vehicles, which may become damaged and fail to charge the 12-volt battery. This malfunction could lead to a complete loss of drive power, posing safety risks for drivers,” the NHTSA stated.
If you’re an owner of one of these Hyundai models dating 2022-2025, stay tuned. Hyundai has not yet provided a timeline as to when affected vehicles will be repaired.
To make that happen, the company’s dealers will inspect and replace the charging unit and its fuse if necessary, NHTSA said. Free of charge, of course.
Importantly, no crashes, injuries, fatalities, or fires due to this issue have been reported in the US, Hyundai reported.
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