Infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) - trusted industrial control cybersecurity community - threat analysis center (ticcc-TAC): building a peer-to-peer ecosystem this project will support…

The Department of Energy Office of Cyber Security awarded a Cooperative Agreement totaling $3,153,895 to Nreca Research on July 9, 2026, under the Cybersecurity, Energy Security & Emergency Response (CESER) program (CFDA 81.008) to support the Trusted Industrial Control Cybersecurity Community – Threat Analysis Center (TICCC-TAC) initiative. The award funds investments strengthening the community of eligible entities currently providing information technology and cybersecurity support to electric cooperatives and municipal utilities, enhancing the cybersecurity posture of electric utilities. Performance occurs in Arlington, Virginia, through July 8, 2029. CESER's Risk Management Tools and Technologies division develops research, demonstration, and deployment capabilities addressing cybersecurity and physical threats, electromagnetic pulse, geomagnetic disturbances, and natural hazards affecting U.S. energy infrastructure. The TICCC-TAC project builds a peer-to-peer ecosystem within this broader mandate, leveraging the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support rural electric cooperatives' resilience and security. Nreca Research, a tax-exempt nonprofit research organization serving nearly 900 utility cooperatives, functions as a facilitator between federal agencies and the cooperative utility network. The organization currently manages multiple Department of Energy cooperative agreements, including the $2.3 million REWIRED project on electric vehicle charging infrastructure soft costs and collaborative programs addressing distributed energy resources, energy storage integration, and critical infrastructure protection.

Infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) - trusted industrial control cybersecurity community - threat analysis center (ticcc-TAC): building a peer-to-peer ecosystem this project will support investments that strengthen the community of eligible entities that are currently providing information technology (IT) and cybersecurity support to eligible electric cooperative and/or municipal utilities to enhance the cybersecurity posture of electric utilities.