U-S Energy Secretary to Announce Red Team/Blue Team War Games on Defending the Grid (Washington Examiner, Daily on Energy)

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Rick Perry discussed an upcoming announcement on Thursday that the Energy Department and an outside institution will be launching cyber war games focused on defending the grid and infrastructure from hackers.

The Cyber Defense Competition will work with national labs on setting up a red team versus blue team scenario where “one group will be attacking infrastructure and the other will be defending against it,” Perry said Thursday at a forum hosted by the Consumer Energy Alliance. 

The red team/blue team competition “breeds excellence” at a time when real threats face the U.S. on the cybersecurity front.

He said he just got done shooting a video with the outside participants in the exercise, and that the competition will be announced soon.

Cyber defense is bipartisan: Perry said the issuing of defending infrastructure from attack extends across both aisles. “Efforts in this area is truly bipartisan,” he said. It is “tantamount to the future of this country” that all sides come together, he continued.

“These are changing time in a very challenging moment,” Perry said.

Waiting on Senator Cantwell – Energy Committee Will She Stay, or Will She Go (Politico, Morning Energy)

(Washington, DC) – Sen. Maria Cantwell told reporters Monday she's undecided on whether she'll leave her spot as top Democrat on the Energy Committee for the Commerce Committee. "Both committees have lots of great things to work on," Cantwell said. "We're still talking to the leadership about everything."

Manchin interested: Manchin, who has a plausible path to the ranking member spot on the Energy Committee depending on how things shake out, didn't deny his interest. "I'm ready, willing and able. I can tell you that," he said. "There's got to be a balanced approach about how we maintain energy independence." Remember ME told you last week that Sen. Debbie Stabenow will face pressure to switch to the Energy slot as Manchin would likely face vocal opposition from environmental groups.

Study Shows Proposed Methanol Plant Would Drive Down Greenhouse Gas Emissions (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(KALAMA, WA) -- A draft study of a proposed $2 billion methanol refining project in Kalama says the plant would drive down global greenhouse gas emissions by displacing coal-based methanol sources.

The Longview Daily News says the review released Tuesday by the Port of Kalama and Cowlitz County concludes the plant, which would produce methanol from natural gas, would displace dirtier coal-based methanol sources in China and result in net reductions in carbon emissions. Environmentalists called the report flawed. They say it underestimates methane associated with the project from hydraulic fracturing and makes speculative assumptions about global markets.

Ribbon Cutting for Chehalis’ New Interstate 5 Chamber Way Overpass (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

(CHEHALIS, WA) – The Washington State Department of Transportation, local leaders, and members of the business community will celebrate the completion of the new Interstate 5 Chamber Way overpass in Chehalis with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting Thursday afternoon. The ceremony will be at 2 PM in the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce parking lot and the public is invited to attend. Tamara Greenwell with the Department of Transportation says the new overpass is wider and taller with more highway clearance than the overpass it replaces and has improved sidewalks.