This bill is focused on protecting Colorado’s electrical grid from geomagnetic storms, which are caused by solar activity like coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These storms can create geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) that damage power grids, transformers, and other infrastructure.
Key Provisions of the Bill:
Evaluation & Reporting:
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) must assess the resilience of Colorado’s electrical generation and grid against geomagnetic storms.
PUC must report its findings to the General Assembly.
Rulemaking for Grid Resilience:
Based on the evaluation, PUC will set mandatory resilience standards for electric utilities.
New Utility Requirements for Grid Protection:
Monitor Space Weather: Utilities must track solar activity via NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center to take preventive actions.
Isolate Critical Components:
Mechanically isolate large power transformers and power generation equipment from the grid during high-risk solar events.
Install automatic neutral ground blocking devices to protect transformers.
Pipeline & Fuel Protection:
Close or restrict fuel pipeline valves to prevent cascading failures.
Cybersecurity & System Isolation:
Ensure computer systems controlling power generation can be physically isolated.
Separate networked systems from external internet access to prevent cyber vulnerabilities.
Require cyber-certification of software and hardware managing power generation and distribution.
Purpose of the Bill:
Prevent power outages and infrastructure damage from geomagnetic storms.
Improve cybersecurity and physical protection of the electrical grid.
Ensure utilities take proactive measures rather than reacting to an event.
This bill is essentially a disaster preparedness measure for Colorado’s power grid, ensuring it can withstand solar storms and potential cyber threats.
Summary
The bill requires the public utilities commission (commission) to
evaluate electrical generation and grid resilience against geomagnetic storms (evaluation) and report the findings of the evaluation to the general assembly. The bill sets standards for the evaluation. Based on the evaluation, the commission shall adopt rules requiring an electrical utility to meet resiliency standards for geomagnetic storms. The rules include: •
Requiring the monitoring of the space weather prediction center of the national oceanic and atmospheric administration in order to isolate large power transformers and power generation from the grid;
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Mechanically isolating critical components if or when a coronal mass ejection is likely to cause geomagnetically induced currents;
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Restricting or closing fuel pipeline valves to mitigate damage in a sectional failure;
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Installing automatic neutral ground blocking devices in large power transformers;
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Ensuring that computer equipment can be mechanically isolated from the grid and sheltered from geomagnetically induced surges;
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Requiring all networked systems that operate electrical generation and distribution to be electronically and physically separable from the outside networks; and
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Requiring the cyber-certification of hardware and software that operate electrical generation and distribution.
