The Department of Energy's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response, or CESER, has released its inaugural five-year strategic plan to enhance the security and resilience of the U.S. energy sector.
The CESER Strategic Plan highlights the significance of cybersecurity in safeguarding the nation's critical infrastructure. Register for the Potomac Officers Club's 2026 Cyber Summit on May 21 to learn how the government and industry can address escalating cyber threats.
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What Are CESER's Priorities?
The Energy Department said Wednesday its priorities will center on providing industry partners with timely, actionable information to enhance their capabilities to address emerging threats and strengthen U.S. energy infrastructure.
Under the strategic plan, CESER will focus on three core goals. First, it will collaborate with utilities to develop practical, scalable security technologies. Second, it will work on hardening the energy system by implementing cybersecurity measures and physical security protocols to prevent disruptions. The DOE office will also build prototypes designed for rapid recovery from disruptions. The final objective is to oversee emergency preparedness and response efforts for natural disasters, physical threats and cyber attacks.
Alex Fitzsimmons, acting under secretary of energy and director of CESER, stated that collaborating with industry partners will allow the department to safeguard vital energy infrastructure against evolving threats and strengthen U.S. energy security. He also noted that 80 percent of the energy sector is owned or operated by the private sector, Federal News Network reported.
“A lot of those organizations are well resourced, but a lot of them are not. They might have one person working on [operational technology] or IT, not even a dedicated cyber person, but they're expected to defend their networks against nation state threat actors,” Fitzsimmons said.
What Is CESER?
CESER is a DOE subcomponent established to ensure reliable access to energy amid emerging threats and natural and manmade emergencies. The CESER Strategic Plan aligns with the Trump administration's national cybersecurity strategy, which emphasizes strengthening protections for critical infrastructure by protecting supply chains and reducing dependence on technology vendors deemed potential security risks.
