P37.114: Substation Physical Security

Objective

The energy sector’s assets, systems, and networks are so vital that their incapacitation or destruction could have a debilitating effect on national security, the economy, and/or employee and public health and safety. Other vital industry sectors (for example, water, banking, and transportation) depend on safe, reliable electricity.

Two types of threats exist for transmission and substation assets, including natural threats and man-made threats. Natural threats can include tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and geomagnetic disturbances. Man-made threats can include vandalism, theft, drone attacks, sabotage, and cyberattacks.

Emerging technologies may exist that could enhance situational awareness and asset protection. This research seeks to enhance resilience and reduce the potential of disruptions in substations through a better understanding of physical security events and the efficacy of mitigation and response options. EPRI regularly collaborates with industry, government, academia, and others to share and leverage knowledge and resources and avoid duplication of efforts. EPRI’s research and development (R&D) intends to identify, evaluate, or develop better ways to detect, deter, and respond against these threats.

Research Value

The intent of this project is to continue a multi-year, multi-layered approach to improve security. The project focus is on these key tasks:

• Intrusion Detection Devices: Because many substations are unmanned, there can be a need to use technology to detect intrusions into the substation. There are numerous detection devices on the market. EPRI aims to provide third-party objective testing of those devices and applicability in the substation by repeatable evaluation in EPRI’s 138 kV research substation.

• Robotics Technologies: Automated or teleoperated robotics hold significant potential to increase situational awareness during physical security events. This research aims to create laboratory tests using security scenarios and evaluate the effectiveness of robotic systems to increase situational awareness, decrease response times, and decrease risks during the simulated events. The result of this research is to further understand how robotics can assist in the unmanned substations.

• Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) Detection Technologies: UAS present security risks to substations, from either malicious or unintended operations. This research explores technologies that could detect unauthorized UAS operations around substations. Research objectives include understanding detection effectiveness in substation environments as well as potential unintended consequences. There is already a body of research for counter-UAS technologies. However, the field is rapidly expanding, and the research must stay at the forefront.

Planned 2025 Research

The importance of safe and reliable electricity as a critical resource for the public good cannot be overstated. The benefits of EPRI’s work in this area may include:

• Improving the resilience and protection of critical infrastructure
• Leveraging R&D on cross-cutting topics, such as ballistics, intrusion detection, and insider threats
• Establishing a technical basis to enhance security and decision making
• Detecting and deterring threats for a substation
• Increasing understanding of the component vulnerability to physical attacks
• Increasing understanding of the effectiveness of protective, defensive, and recovery technologies
• Understanding the impact of various mitigation and hardening solutions on day-to-day operations
• Protecting public and employee health and safety

Anticipated Deliverables

Past EPRI Research on Topic