ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Keeping this nation’s electric utilities and gas operations safe will be the topic of a May 3-4 seminar, EnergyGard Southwest, in Albuquerque sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratories and the Public Service Company (PNM) of New Mexico.
The two-day seminar will be held May 3-4 from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. at the University of New Mexico Continuing Education Center. It is being coordinated by InfraGard New Mexico. InfraGard is a national organization sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in coordination with other federal, state, and local government entities, as well as the private sector, with the purpose of protecting the nation’s critical infrastructures through information-sharing initiatives and education.
Besides the FBI, Sandia, and PNM, other participating organizations include Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Bonneville Power Administration, the U.S Attorney’s Office, the New Mexico Office of Homeland Security, and Dyonyx Corp.
“EnergyGard Southwest is an initiative in training and educating energy sector operators of our most important critical infrastructures throughout the region in best security practices,” says Larry Moore, a Sandia researcher who is involved in planning the seminar.
The event will serve as a foundation for future workshops and as a catalyst for InfraGard membership development.
Experts from industry and government will talk about security approaches for gas and electric operations, nuclear power plants, electrical grid and gas transmission reliability, vulnerability assessment techniques, and more. Among the Sandia presenters is Margie Tatro, Sandia’s Director of Energy, Infrastructure, and Knowledge Systems Department, who will discuss energy safety, security, and reliability.
Pre-registration fees are $100 for InfraGard members and $125 for non-members. The fee includes breakfasts, lunches, and conference material.
Energy sector business owners and operators are invited to participate by registering on the web at www.infragardnm.org or by calling InfraGard New Mexico Vice President Randy Krall at (505) 254-3700.