The US Department of Energy is to provide up to $15 million (£11.3m) to strengthen and protect the nation’s electricity grid from cyber and physical attacks.

The funding will be used by the American Public Power Association and the National Rural Electric Co-operative Association to develop security tools, educational resources and training on common strategies in the next three years.

Around 26% of the nation’s power customers are served by municipal public power providers and rural electric co-operatives.

Deputy Secretary Sherwood-Randall said: “As our definition of energy security and the cyber threat landscape evolve, we continue to help our partners strengthen the ways in which they protect critical infrastructure. This funding is another important step in improving the resiliency of our power grid and our ability to respond quickly and effectively to threats in today’s dynamic environment.”