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Arkansas electric‑co‑op CIO warns of cyber, physical risks to grid; highlights Black Star restoration, fiber ring and vulnerabilities for nursing homes and food
Summary
At a Senate Children and Youth Committee hearing, Mr. Frederick, chief information officer for Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, described cyber and physical threats to the state grid, the co‑ops' new dark‑fiber ring, the RTO 'Black Star' restoration plan and gaps affecting assisted‑living facilities, fuel access and food distribution.
Mr. Frederick, chief information officer for Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, told the Senate Children and Youth Committee that cybersecurity and physical security are the largest current concerns for the state’s power system and that cooperatives are taking steps to isolate critical control systems.
"If they can get into the industrial control center, they could shut down the generation of certain plants," Mr. Frederick said, warning that stolen or auctioned industrial control credentials on the dark web pose a credible danger to generation and control facilities.
Mr. Frederick outlined the basic structure of the U.S. grid — three interconnects (Eastern, Western and ERCOT), regional transmission organizations and roughly 3,000 generating companies — and explained Arkansas’s local arrangements, including membership…
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