Electrical 'Smart Grid' Not Yet Smart Enough to Block Hackers

Monday , March 30, 2009

By James Osborne

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President Obama's plans to accelerate the development of an electrical "smart grid" could leave the nation's power supply dangerously vulnerable to attacks by computer hackers, security analysts are warning.

The "smart grid" is projected to be a nationwide system of automated meters and advanced sensors that integrates new alternative-energy sources with traditional power plants.

Once online, utilities will be able to adjust their rates to the immediate supply and demand for power, and customers will be able to choose to operate their appliances during the hours when consumption — and prices — are at their lowest.

• Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Cybersecurity Center.

Obama's economic stimulus package allocates $4.5 billion to modernize the nation's electricity system and put smart-grid technology on the fast track.

But creating a two-way line of communication between homes and the grid — however "smart" it may be — has its risks, experts say.

"With smart grid, anybody with an eBay account and $80 can go and buy a smart meter, reverse-engineer it and figure out how to attack the grid," said Josh Pennell, president and CEO of IOActive, a technology research firm in Seattle, who testified before the Department of Homeland Security last week.

On the other hand, he said, "If people are going to attack a power grid right now, it would need to be a very well-funded operation."

Pennell envisions low-level hackers trying to steal customer data for the purposes of fraud — or an international terrorist group infiltrating the grid and causing a massive power blackout.

There have already been several instances of hackers breaking into foreign power grids and holding the electricity supply for ransom, a CIA analyst told a conference of utility engineers last year, according to the Associated Press.

Hank Kenchington, deputy assistant secretary of research and development at the Department of Energy, said officials are taking steps to secure the "smart grid" as it goes online.

"This isn't the first time we're hearing about this," he said. "We're addressing these issues with the utilities."

Among computer security experts, there is a general understanding that no system is foolproof.

Data encryption and other technologies must constantly evolve to stay ahead of hackers, said Ron Ambrosio, a senior researcher within IBM's energy and utilities division, who works on "smart grid" projects around the world.

But the idea that "smart grid" networks are lagging behind is simply wrong, he said.

"The smart grid is about leveraging information technology, and there's a lot that's been done in the IT industry already," he said. "We don't have to reinvent everything from scratch."

The great hope of a "smart grid" is that it will not only help reduce the nation's energy consumption, but that it will provide an avenue for transmitting mass quantities of electricity from one side of the country to another — something that is impossible with the current grid.

"Today, the electricity we use is carried along a grid of lines and wires that date back to Thomas Edison," Obama told a crowd in Denver last month.

He called the smart grid "an investment that takes the important first step towards a national transmission superhighway that will connect our cities to the windy plains of the Dakotas and the sunny deserts of the Southwest."

In Boulder, Colo., more than half the city's homes are already being fitted with "smart meters," along with various other devices to help residents conserve energy, in a pilot project that could soon see "smart grid" extending across eight states.

Construction on the first wave of government-funded "smart grid" projects is expected to begin this summer, Kenchington said.

But it's the speed of the deployment that concerns Pennell and his colleagues, who say not enough time is being left for security tests.

"In any kind of emerging market this is typical. People are racing to see who can get their products out faster," Pennell said, calling for further scrutiny of the risks involved in digitizing the country's electrical grid.

"It's time to do it now before [smart meters are] bolted onto every house in the country."

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December 25, 2008

Ford developing U.S. version of Transit Connect van

Ford is working on an electric-powered version of its little European Transit Connect delivery van for sale in the United States.

The small commercial van should go on sale in 2010, according to the turnaround plan Ford submitted to Congress.

Ford plans to offer the electric van to commercial customers. Ford is not expected to reveal the vehicle at the North American International Auto show in Detroit next month, as has been reported, but it could debut at the Chicago auto show in February.

Ford plans to begin selling gasoline-powered versions of the roomy little Transit Connect in North America in 2009. Diesel-powered versions are popular commercial vehicles in European cities, where fuel economy and space efficiency are paramount.

Ford has shown concept versions of the Transit Connect customized for wine shops, catering companies, taxis and other uses.

The New York Times

December 9, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
Where Are the New Jobs for Women?
By LINDA HIRSHMAN

Washington

BARACK OBAMA has announced a plan to stimulate the economy by creating
2.5 million jobs over the next two years. He intends to use the
opportunity to make good on two campaign promises — to invest in road
and bridge maintenance and school repair and to create jobs that
reduce energy use and emissions that lead to global warming.

Mr. Obama compared his infrastructure plan to the Eisenhower-era
construction of the Interstate System of highways. It brings back the
Eisenhower era in a less appealing way as well: there are almost no
women on this road to recovery.

Back before the feminist revolution brought women into the workplace
in unprecedented numbers, this would have been more understandable.
But today, women constitute about 46 percent of the labor force. And
as the current downturn has worsened, their traditionally lower
unemployment rate has actually risen just as fast as men's. A just
economic stimulus plan must include jobs in fields like social work
and teaching, where large numbers of women work.

The bulk of the stimulus program will provide jobs for men, because
building projects generate jobs in construction, where women make up
only 9 percent of the work force.

It turns out that green jobs are almost entirely male as well,
especially in the alternative energy area. A broad study by the United
States Conference of Mayors found that half the projected new jobs in
any green area are in engineering, a field that is only 12 percent
female, or in the heavily male professions of law and consulting; the
rest are in such traditional male areas as manufacturing, agriculture
and forestry. And like companies that build roads, alternative energy
firms also employ construction workers and engineers.

Fortunately, jobs for women can be created by concentrating on
professions that build the most important infrastructure — human
capital. In 2007, women were 83 percent of social workers, 94 percent
of child care workers, 74 percent of education, training and library
workers (including 98 percent of preschool and kindergarten teachers
and 92 percent of teachers' assistants).

Libraries are closing or cutting back everywhere, while demand for
their services, including their Internet connections, has risen.
Philadelphia's proposal last month to close 11 branches brought people
into the street to protest.

Many of the jobs women do are already included in Mr. Obama's campaign
promises. Women are teachers, and the campaign promised to provide
support for families with children up to the age of 5, increase Head
Start financing and quadruple the money spent on Early Head Start to
include a quarter-million infants and toddlers. Special education,
including arts education, is heavily female as well. Mr. Obama
promised to increase financing for arts education and for the National
Endowment for the Arts, which supports many school programs.

During the campaign, Mr. Obama also promised that the first part of
his plan to combat urban poverty would be to replicate a nonprofit
organization in New York called the Harlem Children's Zone in 20
cities across the country. The group, which works to improve the
quality of life for children and families in the Harlem neighborhood,
employs several hundred people in full- and part-time jobs. By making
good on this promise, Mr. Obama could create thousands of jobs for
women in social work, teaching and child care.

Unlike the proposal to rebuild roads and bridges, the Harlem
Children's Zone program is urban, and thus really green. If cities
become more inviting, more people will live in them — and that means
they will drive less, using less fuel. The average New Yorker's
greenhouse gas footprint is only about 29 percent as large as that of
the average American; the city is one of the greenest places in
America.

Maybe it would be a better world if more women became engineers and
construction workers, but programs encouraging women to pursue
engineering have existed for decades without having much success. At
the moment, teachers and child care workers still need to support
themselves. Many are their families' sole support.

A public works program can provide needed economic stimulus and revive
America's concern for public property. The current proposal is simply
too narrow. Women represent almost half the work force — not exactly a
marginal special interest group. By adding a program for jobs in
libraries, schools and children's programs, the new administration can
create jobs for them, too.

Linda R. Hirshman is the author of "Get to Work: A Manifesto for Women
of the World."

Make Some Green Going Green...Ten Top Green Jobs Today

by Ron Callari

Remember the old TV sit-com Green Acres, where Ava Gabor and Eddie
Albert abandoned their comfy affluent urban lifestyle for a bucolic
farm-life way of life. This raucous romp of wholesome living
juxtaposed to a backdrop of cows' utters, pigs 'a squealing and enough
manure to accent the occasional pratfall was pure slapstick comedy
that poked fun at a return to a simpler way of life!

Today, however, "going green" is more often associated with
environmental sustainability, hybrid cars, alternative fuels and ice
caps 'a melting. Today, our 'green acres' are a necessity, and no
longer a joking matter. With unemployment at an all time high, green
jobs may the option many of us need to examine to keep ahead of the
bread lines. Perhaps it's time for you to 'green' your career.

Here is my pick for the top ten green collar jobs for 2009!

Top Green Job # 10 - Eco-Tourism Jobs

Tourism is considered the largest employment sector in the world
economy, so it's no wonder that workers at all levels will become
involved in greening the industry. Ecotourism is growing at three
times the rate of the overall tourism sector itself, and demanding
more knowledgeable workers committed to sustainability. "There is
great diversity within the field," says Ayako Etaka of the
International Ecotourism Society (TIES). Green travel employees
generally work for private companies, government, public institutions
and nonprofits. But, as ecology becomes more of a mindset in today's
culture, hoteliers, restaurateurs and area attraction operators will
all be going green to attract green-thinking travelers. For those
looking to explore opportunities in this field, TIES provides
up-to-date listings of ecotourism and sustainable tourism jobs.

The International Ecotourism Society

Top Green Job #9 - Bicycle Technicians

Bicycles are an efficient means of travel, and electric bikes such as
the Urban Mover's Range are going to bridge the gap between
gas-powered and human-powered cycling. Fixing them is going to require
a new type of technician, a cross between a mechanic and an
electrician. Like automobile mechanics, their fees might become
pricey, but from the consumers' standpoint what they will saving on
gas, they'll be able to afford the upkeep and repair bills. The United
Bicycle Institute is a respected institute that boasts more graduates
working in the bicycle technician field than any other mechanics
school.

Electric Bikes

Top Green Job #8 - Organic Farming Specialist

With cutting-edge organic agriculture gaining popularity in this
country, a new type of farmer is emerging. This innovative specialist
is one who is vehemently opposed to synthetic agrochemicals. Today,
students of organic farming are going to be in heavy demand by urban
farm markets, community-supported agriculture and their local
neighbors. They'll understand the dangers of taking shortcuts, and
they'll know how to keep production and food quality at high levels.
For those that are interested, check out the Pay Dirt Farm School in
Moscow, Idaho, a non-profit educational program offering organic farm
apprenticeships.

Organic Farming

Top Green Jobs #7 - Wind Energy Developers.

Ever since T.Boone Pickens introduced us to wind power, the idea of
harnessing the wind to produce energy has slowly gaining traction.
According to the American Wind Energy Association, there is currently
a high demand for Wind Energy Developers. These are planners who
search out land for wind farms, collaborate with meteorologists on
wind assessments and coordinate projects with land owners, local
regulatory agencies and power companies. According to Chris Beck,
president of Global Recruiters of Boulder in Boulder, Colorado, this
specialty is very lucrative and garners salaries between $110-
180,000. Who knew that experts full of hot air would be worth so much
in today's workforce.
Wind Energy Developers

Top Green Jobs #6 - Environmental Engineers

Using the scientific principles of biology and chemistry to solve
environmental issues is the work of environmental engineers. Working
behind the scenes, these individuals are instrumental in limiting the
effects of acid rain, global warming, car emissions and ozone
depletion, in an effort to keep our planet from deteriorating more
than it already has. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the
field of environmental engineering will grow 25 percent over course of
the next 7 years, with current median salaries of $61,000.
Environmental Engineer

Top Green Job #5 - Corporate Social Responsibility Professionals

As an emerging profession, there is no guidelines for a career path in
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), nor are there any specific
qualifications required for this field. Because it is so new,
transferable skills and knowledge from other related fields such as
environmental management are valued highly.To find a job in this
field, many larger companies publish CSR jobs on their websites. There
are also a number of indices such as FTSE4Good, the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index and the Business in the Community's Corporate
Responsibility Index that list job openings in CSR.Corporate Social
Responsibility

Top Green Job #4 - iPod/ iPhone Doctors

To counter the 20th Century belief in a disposable society, there is a
growing need, particularly in a down economy to repair versus replace.
To that end, smart entrepreneurs might be interested in becoming an
iPod/iPhone Doctor. With as many MP3s and smart phones hitting the
market in just last few years, there is a great need for experts who
know how to fix our new 'lifelines' when they go on the fritz. There
is nothing more frustrating than going back to an Apple Store only to
have them pitch you on a new replacement or charge you for a hefty
repair bill. A smart electronics engineer can make a good living by
opening up a small repair shop and servicing their local community.
According to a recent CNN report, at least a dozen iPod repair shops
have sprung up in New York City, and one self taught electronic doctor
even makes house calls!

iPod / iPhone Doctor

Top Green Job #3 - Hydrologists

A hydrologist is a water expert who manages wastewater treatment,
watersheds and sewers. As fresh clean water becomes scarcer, these
technicians specialize in underground and surface water supplies that
may have become contaminated. To qualify for this type of position, a
four-year or higher degree is required in earth science, geology,
geophysics, engineering or chemistry. Employment opportunities for
hydrologists are bright, as demand is expected to continue for the
next decade. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics,
hydrologists working for the federal government earned an average of
$77, 182 per year.

Hydrologists

Top Green Job #2 - Environment Refuse Processors

Restoring the sustainable potential of our planet is going to involve
the largest clean-up job in history. Refuse processors are going to
have to scour the sea beds and land fills for plastic waste that can
be reprocessed and rendered less toxic. The good news is that our
mountains of trash which at first blush is extremely hazardous can
actually become an energy goldmine, and environment refuse processors
are going to be the miners leading the charge!Environment Refuse
Processors

Top Green Job #1 - Jobs in Green Car Manufacturing.

As my number one green collar job pick, I have selected jobs in green
car manufacturing.Since the major US car manufacturers have had not
responded to changes in market conditions, millions of auto workers
may soon find themselves out of jobs. For them, I suggest searching
out the new 'green car' automakers who have had the foresight to be
proactive versus reactive.Whether you are an assembly line worker or
an executive, car manufactures who are breaking new ground in fuel
efficiency, alternate fuel selection and green designs are the ones
who will succeed in this industry in the next decade. The Smart fortwo
represents an all new type of vehicle for American drivers. This tiny
two-seater that's been a popular choice in Europe for years has come
to the US, bringing with it a small eco footprint, higher fuel
efficiency, and a trendy 'green' ride for new car buyers. Other
manufactures that have focused on hybrids, electrical and solar energy
vehicles will have more job openings as demand shifts from fossil
fuels to these new alternatives. Savvy workers who can transfer their
skills to this new manufacturing would be wise to search out these
companies now while they begin their growth spurt.
Smart fortwo auto

The US Conference of Mayors issued a report recently that stated that
our economy will see a major shift of our workforce where 4.2 million
green jobs will be created by 2038.

The Apollo Alliance coalition of environmentalists says a $500 billion
investment over the next 10 years will create 5 million green collar
jobs. If this be the case, it wise to start making career choices now,
and help to save our planet at the same time! To learn more about
green jobs, there are job sites, like MonsterTraks's GreenJobs and
Greenjobs.com that list renewable energy jobs and positions with
green-thinking companies.

Ron Callari
Society and Trends Writer
InventorSpot.com

Ethanol Industry Provides Green Jobs Input

Posted by Cindy Zimmerman

At the request of the Obama administration transition team, the
Renewable Fuels Association last week submitted discussion ideas for
an economic stimulus package partially designed to create green jobs
and spur the green economy.

RFAAccording to a statement from RFA, "Some have misconstrued this
communication as a request for federal assistance or a bailout. To the
contrary, the RFA recognizes that by stimulating increased production,
innovation, and investment in new technologies and cellulosic
feedstocks, a revitalized renewable fuels industry can help bail out
the flagging US economy and lessen America's dependence on foreign
oil."

RFA says the ethanol industry has helped support the creation of more
than 238,000 "green" jobs last year alone as well as helping to revive
struggling rural economies.

Organization representatives say they will continue to have
discussions with the Obama team on how ethanol fits into a green
stimulus package. "America's ethanol producers share the vision of
President-elect Obama of a domestic industry that is innovating to
include ethanol production from a wide array of materials including
switchgrass, wood chips, and municipal solid waste. That vision can
only become a reality if today's ethanol technologies and producers
are successful."

U.S.News & World Report
Monday, December 29, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama has been talking up green jobs, green
energy, and green infrastructure for a while, but in the past few
weeks, as pressure has mounted for a new economic stimulus package,
his push for green spending has acquired a sense of immediacy: If
Congress is going to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to boost
the economy, as it appears likely to do, how much should be spent on
green projects? And do some green projects hold more promise for the
economy than others?
More News

There have certainly been many suggestions. Washington, over the past
month or so, has turned into something of a holiday showcase for
backlogged projects and wishful plans. The National Governors
Association and the U.S. Conference of Mayors have each published
lists featuring green projects they say are "ready to go"—ready for
construction—in 2009. Activists, utilities, and trade groups have
offered up their own lists, sending them along to the Senate Energy
and Natural Resources Committee, which in turn has turned them over to
Democratic congressional leaders.

From what Obama has said thus far about the stimulus package, which is
rumored to be in the $700 billion-to-$800 billion-plus range, he is
hoping to accomplish two things at once: stabilize and restore the
flagging economy while advancing his energy agenda. Observers say that
to do so, he will have to strike an appropriate balance between
short-term and long-term projects, a balance that delivers quick,
tangible aid to the economy but also lays a foundation for
transforming the country's energy portfolio.

The "green" proposals being bandied about are a motley bunch. They
include calls for fixing old things, such as retrofitting homes and
schools and offices with energy-efficient technologies, and for
building new ones, such as new power plants, new solar farms, and new
fueling stations for flex-fuel vehicles. They cover pitches for large,
multiyear projects—new municipal sewer systems and high-voltage
transmission lines—and pitches for smaller ones, such as installing
windows. And they encompass a range of ideas for distributing the
money (grants, tax credits, and loan guarantees, to name a few) as
well as a range of recipients, including homeowners, utilities,
manufacturers, developers, and city and state governments.

In addition to the calls for investment, there are calls for reform.
Many observers say the stimulus package gives lawmakers a rare
opportunity to overhaul regulatory policies that have hampered the
growth and success of the renewable energy industry (particularly wind
power) and set too-lenient efficiency standards for new office
buildings. One far-reaching move, they say, would be to give greater
control to federal regulators over the construction of new electricity
transmission lines across state jurisdictions, thereby overriding
fights among states and reassuring wind investors that their energy
will find buyers in distant markets.

Of the package's yet-to-be-determined price tag, as much as one third
of it may end up being tied to energy; some lawmakers have said they
would like to see a minimum of $100 billion in energy-related
investment. The big question, of course, is how that money will be
divided up.

At the moment, a consensus seems to be building around the notion that
energy-efficiency projects will have the quickest impact on the
economy, since they are among the easiest to deploy—and they lower
utility bills. As Joe Loper, Alliance to Save Energy's vice president,
said at a recent hearing, "Transformations have long lead times and
many pitfalls. We should not crowd out opportunities for incremental
gains."

The group, along with several other organizations, including Edison
Electric Institute, the main trade group for the electricity industry,
has called for retrofitting 2 million buildings over the next two
years and for at least $13 billion for energy-efficiency programs.

Retrofits, of course, tend to be cheaper than infrastructure projects
or new plants. Converting a coal plant to biomass, for example, might
cost about $100 million; replacing the windows at city hall, about $2
million. But they also only begin to address questions about supply
problems. "It's important to recognize that energy makes a huge
contribution to our economic recovery, not just through immediate jobs
but through providing affordable energy for the future," says Karen
Harbert, managing director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute
for 21st Century Energy. "I don't think we should shy away from
something that could create jobs two, three, four years from now. New
plants have very long supply chains. Orders need to be placed now for
parts. Pieces of equipment take time to manufacture."

Both Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden have said that they do
not want the stimulus package to turn into a typical federal
appropriations bill, stuffed with earmarks and goodies for a
congressman's home district. How, then, will Congress designate what
it wants to fund?

Part of the answer appears to be that Democratic leaders are looking
to help state and city programs that already exist but are badly in
need of funding. Likewise, Congress has approved two giant energy
bills in the past three years with hundreds of new programs. But in
many cases, the programs have been left unfunded. In 2007, for
example, Congress authorized a new smart-grid program with a price tag
of $200 million a year for three years. But that program has gone
largely unfunded, according to records.

Environmental advocates, meanwhile, hope that long-neglected areas,
such as water treatment and land preservation, will finally get
attention and that the stimulus package will promote conservation
after years of resource depletion. Much of the nation's
infrastructure—roads, sewer systems, transport pipelines—dates to the
World War II era, if not well before then; some sewer systems in the
Northeast are more than 100 years old and vulnerable to flooding after
heavy rain.

Betsy Otto, vice president of American Rivers, says lawmakers should
focus on alleviating problems in existing systems and on restoring
wetlands and other natural protections. "Partly, this is a question of
follow the money," Otto says. "In the past, money has been in funding
pots for the Army Corps of Engineers and highway development.
Communities have followed where funding sources are—new development,
creating taller and taller levees. Part of a sound national strategy
would be investing in efficiency and natural solutions."

Inevitably, there will be clashes. Some groups say the stimulus
package should include funding for carbon capture and sequestration
technology for coal plants; others say the money should be spent only
on renewable technology. Some want massive funding for roads, in part
to alleviate wasteful idling in big-city traffic; others say funding
for roads should be redirected to companies working on electric cars
or advanced biofuels.

A point of general agreement, however, is that the stimulus package
should go beyond piecemeal funding and look at setting broad policies
that will encourage private investment amid poor conditions. "I don't
know if we have the luxury of picking which industries we want to
support in this economic crisis," Harbert says. "We need all types of
jobs and all types of energy."

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