GPA conducts SURGE 2025 Table-Top Exercise to strengthen disaster and cyber resilience

A speaking talking to the audience at SURGE 2025.

(Photo courtesy of Guam Power Authority)

(Fadian, Mangilao) – On Tuesday, October 28, 2025, the Guam Power Authority (GPA) conducted SURGE 2025, a comprehensive Tabletop Exercise (TTX) designed to enhance the Authority’s preparedness and response capabilities in the face of natural disasters and cyber threats.

The exercise brought together key partners and stakeholders, including representatives and personnel from the Guam Power Authority (GPA), Guam Waterworks Authority (GWA), Joint Task Force - Micronesia, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)/ U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and GPA’s energy partners and Independent Power Producers (MEC, Guam Ukudu Power and Clean Capital).

“Tabletop exercises like SURGE 2025 are essential to ensuring that we remain ready, coordinated, and capable of responding effectively to the unexpected,” said GPA General Manager John M. Benavente, P.E. “While we hope that many of the scenarios we will discuss never occur, it is our responsibility as leaders to prepare for them with diligence and professionalism,” Benavente added.

The TTX engaged participants in a series of realistic scenarios to evaluate communication, coordination, and decision-making under pressure. The exercise emphasized collaboration over critique, focusing on identifying strengths, uncovering potential gaps, and refining systems that support continuity of operations and public safety.

Representing the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Levi Lloyd, Cyber Threat Hunter with the Global Security Directorate, provided a briefing on emerging cyber risks highlighting Guam’s strategic importance and the growing threat from state-sponsored cyber actors like Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon. He stressed the need for utilities and federal partners to collaborate to strengthen cyber resilience and protect Guam’s power systems.

“GPA’s ability to maintain operations, protect its critical infrastructure assets, and safeguard our island depends on the commitment of every individual and partner organization involved,” said GPA’s Chief Information Technology Officer (CITO) Melvyn Kwek, CISA, GICSP. “The knowledge and insights gained from SURGE 2025 will help us strengthen our collective readiness and ensure Guam’s critical energy infrastructure remains resilient,” Kwek added.

SURGE 2025 reflects GPA’s ongoing commitment to proactive planning, cybersecurity awareness, and emergency preparedness. Through continued collaboration with local, regional, and federal partners, GPA is reinforcing its mission to provide reliable, safe, and sustainable power for Guam, even in the most challenging conditions.