Power grid is protected: Your Say

Letter to the editor:

USA TODAY's special report "Bracing for a big power grid attack: 'One is too many'" does not fully explain the electric power industry's multilayered approach to protect the nation's electric grid from all types of attacks.

Grid security is a top priority and a responsibility our industry takes very seriously. As cyber and physical threats continue to evolve, our industry remains vigilant. Utilities are coordinating more closely than ever with the federal government as well as each other to share threat information, deploy new tools and technologies to detect attacks, and to protect the grid's critical assets.

As there is no such thing as 100% security, it is important to understand that the grid is designed to be resilient and redundant. The industry is constantly working to plan and prepare coordinated responses to incidents that could affect the grid in order to limit the impact on customers and quickly restore service.

Electricity is vital to our national security, and we will continue to work with each other and with our government partners to strengthen our security posture.

Sue Kelly, president and CEO, American Public Power Association; Arlington, Va.
Tom Kuhn, president, Edison Electric Institute; Washington, D.C.
Jo Ann Emerson, CEO, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association; Arlington, Va.

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

News coverage is a good thing but do we have to broadcast every vulnerability that we have?

— Chad Clausen

People have taken pot shots at transformers and substations for a long time. Hackers have been trying to hack into networks for years, just to say they did. The USA has one of the most reliable electric systems in the world.

— Craig Gladson