“Billions of dollars in government stimulus money are encouraging utility companies to ignore security risks that could plummet large metropolitan areas into darkness, security experts say.

In 2009, the Obama administration provided nearly $4 billion to upgrade and digitize the nation’s electric grid and other utilities using Smart Grid technology. Since then, utility companies have been scrambling to roll out programs to install the new technology before federal funding dries up, often without regard for security, said Jonathan Pollet, the founder of the security consulting firm Red Tiger Securities.

‘The utilities were in a mad grab for money, and almost every major utility was able to submit applications for almost free money,’ he said.”

(Source: Power grid upgrades could pose security risks, experts says – KansasCity.com)