In The News

ENS: Solar Power in Gaza

March 19, 2018
Power outages are common in Gaza, and a solar rooftop will provide energy for the largest business park in the Palestinian territory of Gaza by 2019. Environment News Services reports Gaza’s population of 2 million people has about a quarter of the power it needs to function. “Gaza’s sole power plant is hampered by fuel shortages, outdated transmission lines, and damage from three wars in the...

Reuters: US Issues Alert on Utility, Infrastructure Cyberattacks

Dustin Volz and Timothy Gardner March 17, 2018
The US has publicly accused Russia of waging cyberattacks against the power grids and other key infrastructure sectors over the past two years. Some facilities and companies may not yet realize they have been infiltrated by malware, phishing and remote access. “The campaign targeted engineers and technical staff with access to industrial controls, suggesting the hackers were interested in...

Economist: Scrapping Iran Deal Could Embolden Hardliners

October 21, 2017
While US military forces have worked alongside Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, to counter the Islamic State in Iraq, political moves out of Washington may unravel any conciliatory efforts between the two countries. As Donald Trump works to undo many of former US President Barack Obama’s foreign and domestic policies, he simultaneously emboldens Iranian hardliners, argues the Economist...

Thomson Reuters Foundation: World Needs “Carbon Sucking” Technology by 2030s, Scientists Warn

Laurie Goering October 11, 2017
The world is failing to reduce emissions fast enough to ease the consequences of climate change – extreme weather, rising seas, violent wildfires and loss of biodiversity. Some nations like the United States are defiant about recognizing the problem, taking responsibility and demonstrating leadership – promoting reliance on coal without investing in emission control. Scientists warn engineering...

The New York Times: China Hastens the World Toward an Electric-Car Future

Keith Bradsher October 10, 2017
The world’s most populous nation is the largest maker and buyer of electric cars. China applies specific rules to guide markets – for example, more than half of cars sold by automakers must rely on alternative energies. Manufacturers around the globe are forced to adjust and add electric models to their product lines. “Propelled by vast amounts of government money and visions of dominating next-...

Foreign Affairs: Is War in Gaza Unavoidable?

Ghaith al-Omari and Grant Rumley September 5, 2017
War in Gaza seemed possible this summer after Israel went along with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s request to cut electricity for 2 million Gazans living under Hamas rule. As Ghaith al-Omari and Grant Rumley observe in a recent article for Foreign Affairs: “Abbas hoped to pressure Hamas into relinquishing control over the strip, which was plunged into darkness as the cornered...

Reuters: Security Firms Warn of New Cyber Threat to Electric Grid

Jim Finkle July 10, 2017
Cybersecurity experts have identified a new form of malicious software that could disrupt large power systems. The malware was used to cut power in Ukraine in December 2016. Dragos has sent an alert to governments and utilities with recommendations on avoiding the malware, reports Jim Finkle for Reuters, adding “Crash Override can be detected if a utility specifically monitors its network for...