Critical infrastructure collectively refers to assets, systems, and networks that, if incapacitated, would have a substantial negative impact on national security, economic security, or public health and safety. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified 16 critical infrastructure sectors, each consisting of multiple sub-sectors, which provide security and safety services. The importance of resilience in these sectors and their sub-sectors is compounded by the interdependencies between them. For example, hospitals and nursing homes, which are significant components of the Public Health Sector, are dependent on the Chemical Sector for pharmaceuticals. The Chemical Sector is dependent on the Transportation Sector to move supplies and products. The Transportation Sector is dependent on the Energy Sector for fuel, and each of the 16 sectors is in some way dependent on the Energy Sector for electricity. Many examples confirm these interdependencies among critical infrastructure sectors, which is why the resilience of the assets, systems, and functions in these sectors is so important. The DHS has developed sector-specific plans for assessing, analyzing, and managing risks in each of the 16 sectors. Resilience plans vary across the sectors and subsectors depending on their unique attributes and requirements.

The DHS critical infrastructure sectors are detailed below:

Some definitions of critical infrastructure are narrower than the DHS NIPP, and may focus on public health and safety at the state or local level, rather than national and economic security. To that end, many cities and states have created their own resilience plans that also include specific strategies to address critical infrastructure. For example, the City of New Orleans is assessing the risks of energy outages to critical infrastructure systems and conducting feasibility studies for backup generation or microgrids as part of its plan, Resilient New Orleans. Similarly, the state of Connecticut addresses a number of resilience objectives in its Comprehensive Energy Strategy, including promoting programs that would keep critical facilities and core services in cities and towns operating when the grid goes down. Additional information and examples of critical infrastructure resilience planning strategies can be found in under the Resilience Planning section of the Decision Makers page.

One key sector that has increased its focus on enhancing overall resilience in buildings and campus settings is the healthcare industry. The U.S. DHS provided a best practices a document in 2014 to assist healthcare providers in pursuing resilient healthcare infrastructure options, which highlight DG and CHP options to increase energy security and reliability. Healthcare Without Harm also recently published a report detailing resilience changes that healthcare providers could make to be better prepared for future natural disasters and stronger storms.

In addition, the 2015 Energy Sector-Specific Plan, created by DOE, provides information for critical infrastructure resilience planning specific to the energy sector. The report details the energy sector’s security and resilience goals and identifies strategic partnerships and risk management strategies for critical energy infrastructure in the future. The report also identifies approximately 170 activities and programs that could be useful for individuals and/or stakeholders interested in improving critical energy infrastructure. The activities and programs support the national critical energy infrastructure goals and have been developed by a variety of public and private organizations across the country.

The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) Energy Security Committee on Energy Assurance Planning also provides a number of resources on protecting and hardening critical energy infrastructure, energy assurance planning, and enhancing grid resilience efforts.