# DOE Funds Arkansas Utility Cybersecurity Program

The U.S. Department of Energy funded Forge Institute to deliver the two-year, $2 million Secure Energy Defenders Program for selected rural and municipal electric utilities in Arkansas. The program provides free cybersecurity training, technical assistance, and threat intelligence, with Idaho National Laboratory contributing more than 2,000 hours of analyst support. No open solicitation, participating utilities, or procurement contacts are identified, so this announcement describes a funded program rather than a currently open contracting opportunity.

- Forge Institute is the program awardee; Idaho National Laboratory is providing analyst support. Companies interested in supporting delivery should use Forge Institute and program announcements as the identified channels for potential opportunities.
- Arkansas utilities selected for the program can access the stated cybersecurity assistance at no cost, which may shape local demand for utility cyber services and related capabilities.
- The two-year, $2 million program is a concrete example of DOE funding directed toward cybersecurity support for rural and municipal energy infrastructure.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Energy & Utilities
**Topics:** Cybersecurity
**Published:** October 27, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

### Vendors
- Forge Institute (awardee)

### Sources
- [Forge Institute Lands DOE Funding for $2M Utility Cybersecurity Program](https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/forge-institute-lands-doe-funding-for-2m-utility-cybersecurity-program) - Arkansas Business