CISA: Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce Advisory List

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (a part of Homeland Security) has developed, in collaboration with other federal agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector, an “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce” advisory list.

This list is intended to help state, local, tribal, and territorial officials as they work to protect their communities while ensuring continuity of functions critical to public health and safety, as well as economic and national security. Decisions informed by this list should also take into consideration additional public health considerations based on the specific COVID-19-related concerns of particular jurisdictions.

In the report, CISA says construction and electricians are essential, even in states where they are currently shut down like Pennsylvania.

The entire report can be viewed here.

For convenience, we have collected the select parts of the report that impact the electrical distribution industry the most, below:

• Workers supporting the energy sector, regardless of the energy source (including but not limited to nuclear, fossil, hydroelectric, or renewable), segment of the system, or infrastructure the worker is involved in, or who are needed to monitor, operate, engineer, and maintain the reliability, safety, environmental health, and physical and cybersecurity of the energy system.
• Manufacturing and distribution of equipment, supplies, and parts necessary to maintain production, maintenance, restoration, and service at energy sector facilities (across all energy sector segments).
• Workers who maintain, ensure, or restore, or are involved in the development, transportation, fuel procurement, expansion, or operation of the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power, including call centers, utility workers, engineers, retail electricity, constraint maintenance, and fleet maintenance technicians- who cannot perform their duties remotely.
• Essential support personnel for electricity operations.
• Workers such as plumbers, electricians, exterminators, builders, contractors, HVAC Technicians, landscapers, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences, businesses, and buildings such as hospitals, senior living facilities, any temporary construction required to support COVID-19 response.