Barry Kuehnle

Principal Consultant

Barry Kuehnle is a cybersecurity and energy infrastructure expert with nearly 30 years of experience supporting the electric, oil and gas, and nuclear sectors. As a Principal Consultant at GridSME, he advises clients on NERC CIP compliance, cybersecurity strategy, vulnerability assessments, and critical infrastructure protection. Barry previously served 15 years at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), where he led efforts in CIP standards development, technical audits, and cyber policy. He has provided high-level briefings to agencies including the Department of Energy, DHS, and the White House, and played a central role in shaping regulatory guidance and industry best practices.



Before FERC, Barry held leadership roles at the Department of Defense’s Defense Technology Analysis Office, Idaho National Laboratory, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, and the U.S. Navy. He has directed national ICS security initiatives, managed large cross-sector teams, and contributed to projects like the AURORA vulnerability discovery. Barry holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Case Western Reserve University (magna cum laude), is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Intelligence School, and has completed CIO coursework at the National Defense University. He also completed numerous technical courses and previously held a Top Secret/SCI clearance with CI polygraph.