Networks lobby says solar and storage not only source of cyber threats

The main lobby group for Australian network operators says it is not focusing only on household solar and storage as potential threats for cyber security, and says there are broader issues affecting all participants in the electricity market.

Many in the solar industry were shocked, and outraged, on Monday when Fairfax published a story quoting ENA chief executive John Bradley saying that the proliferation of household solar and storage was increasing the risk of cyber security breaches.

The industry perceived this as yet another instance where intentionally, or otherwise, the solar and storage industry was being demonised by the networks. The Bradley quotes in the story related to no other technology issue.

“The messaging needs to be about real threats, real risks and balanced responses – not to create a false enemy of smart distributed energy technologies,” said Steve Blume, the head of the Australian Solar Council and the Australian Energy Council.

The ENA was quick to respond to the RenewEconomy story, insisting that Bradley had talked of broader technology issues in his interview with the AFR, even if the paper had not quoted those aspects. The paper cited other technology issues, but quoted other market participants when doing so. The ENA said it was happy with the AFR article and its editorial decision to focus Bradley’s quotes to the issues around solar and storage.

The ENA said it was keen to emphasise the need for cyber security risk management across a diverse range of network operations, including large-scale transmission operations, distribution network management and the integration of distributed resources like solar, storage, electric vehicles and demand response.

In a press statement issued late on Monday, Bradley rejected the RenewEconomy article as misleading.

“Australian energy networks are enabling the energy transformation, connecting cleaner, smarter applications at world leading rates. Our commitment to managing cyber security is crucial to enabling millions of distributed resources like solar and storage – not standing in their way.”

Industry participants were keen to point out that connecting solar and storage to individual households had no implications on cyber security for networks, only when these installations were aggregated and “internet enabled” by service providers, particularly those using smart software to interface with the grid.

They agreed it was an issue to be addressed, just as the cyber security breaches at nuclear plants in Germany and the US, and ongoing security in other generators and networks was also critical.

Blume said he looked forward to increased engagement between the solar and storage industry and the ENA.