Press Release

PUC Highlights Importance of Critical Utility Infrastructure

Published on 11/19/2020

Filed under: Electric Gas Telecommunications Transportation and Safety Water and Wastewater

Through a Pandemic, Lockdowns and Severe Storms, Pennsylvania Utilities Maintained Vital Services and Continued to Improve Key Systems

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today recognized National Critical Infrastructure Security Month, noting the importance of Pennsylvania’s critical utility systems and the extensive behind-the-scenes efforts by public utilities and thousands of utility workers in keeping our communities safe and secure.

“As we grappled with all the challenges of 2020, it is important to recognize the work of our public utilities, and especially the women and men who have kept essential systems operating in the face of COVID-19, severe weather, and an assortment of other physical and cyber threats,” said PUC Chair Gladys Brown Dutrieuille, who also chairs the Committee on Critical Infrastructure for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC).

Our utilities and utility workers are the backbone of daily
activities - powering our homes and businesses; fueling our
heating and cooking; providing clean drinking water;
transporting goods and people where they are needed; and
connecting us with work, family and friends.

Continued Infrastructure Improvement

While the security and resilience of critical utility infrastructure is recognized every November, the work of keeping these critical systems secure and operating is a year-round task.

“Not only have Pennsylvania’s utilities continued to provide service throughout COVID-19 shutdowns and business restrictions, but they also continued to complete critical infrastructure improvement projects,” noted Chair Dutrieuille. “Along the way, they also focused on keeping their workers healthy, protecting the public during any face-to-face interactions, and enhancing their online and virtual outreach to customers.”

Collectively, Pennsylvania’s electric, natural gas and water
utilities targeted $1.9 billion in accelerated infrastructure
improvement work during 2020 – and are on track to
complete those essential projects.

Key Partnerships to Safeguard Services

Since public health concerns were first raised across Pennsylvania in early 2020, the PUC has worked with partner agencies and state leadership – including the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Department of Community and Economic Development, Department of Health, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Transportation, the Governor’s Office and the Pennsylvania General Assembly – to help critical infrastructure utilities navigate COVID-19 issues impacting their operations and workforce, along with their suppliers and supply chains. 

“For years, Pennsylvania has been at the forefront of efforts to gather key stakeholders in government, utilities and nonprofit organizations to collaborate and prepare for potential threats,” said Chair Dutrieuille. “Much of that work was accomplished as part of statewide exercises and forums concerning cyber or natural ‘Black Sky’ incidents – incidents that have the potential to cause widespread disruptions to critical utility systems – but this year that preparation was extremely helpful for continuing operations during the pandemic.”

National Infrastructure Security Month

This year’s National Infrastructure Security Month focuses on a “Time of Transformation” – noting the transformative movement to remote work, distance learning and telemedicine, along with the importance of cybersecurity and infrastructure security.

The national campaign focuses on two important themes:

• The Security and Response during a Global Pandemic, and
• the Future of Securing Critical Infrastructure.

More information about the national campaign, and the role every organization, business and individual plays in safeguarding critical infrastructure, is available from the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

About the PUC

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

Visit the PUC’s website at www.puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Search for the “Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission” or “PA PUC” on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.

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Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov