Rodrigo joins ITI/CREDC as managing director

Dilhan Rodrigo has joined the Information Trust Institute (ITI) as managing director of smart grid. Rodrigo, who has about 15 years of experience working with electric utilities, comes to ITI from AESO – Alberta Electric System Operator, where he has held positions of interties program-manager and market design advisor/architect.

In his new role, Rodrigo will provide strategic administrative leadership to the Cyber Resilient Energy Delivery Consortium (CREDC) and will serve as an ambassador for the development of cyber resilient energy delivery systems (EDS).  He will network with industry, government, non-profit, and international organizations to foster collaboration and act as a liaison between researchers, administrators, agencies, and the public on issues related to energy delivery system (EDS) security and resiliency.

“Like most other things in our life, the EDS are getting more and more connected and dependent on the internet. There are tremendous efficiency benefits and opportunities as a result of this transformation, but it also exposes them to new and sophisticated cyber-attacks and threats.” he said. “These threats could have significant negative impacts on our economy and way of life and I want to be part of something that promotes research activity and, develop the next generation of professionals to counter that threat.”

Rodrigo also intends to help bridge the gap between research goals and industry needs.

“With my industry background, I may be able to help researchers and students understand how we can leverage the potential gap between novel ideas and practical applications,” he said.

More About CREDC

The $28.1 million Cyber Resilient Energy Delivery Consortium (CREDC), led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and funded by the Department of Energy and the Department of Homeland Security, is working to improve the resilience and security of the cyber networks that serve as the backbone of the infrastructure that delivers energy – known as energy delivery systems (EDS) – particularly in the electric grid and oil & gas sectors. Working in close collaboration with industry partners, CREDC aims to create a channel through which foundational research will lead to short-term and mid-term solutions for the marketplace. The consortium consists of 12 universities and national laboratories. 

Source: Information Trust Institute