WASHINGTON, DC - Continuing the committee’s oversight of the safety and security of the nation’s electric grid, House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders yesterday wrote to Acting Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Cheryl LaFleur seeking information relating to the agency’s management of sensitive security information.
The letter was sent following last week’s release of a Management Alert from the Department of Energy’s Inspector General (IG), which noted weaknesses in FERC’s internal information controls and requested the agency take immediate action to protect certain information. The IG is reviewing FERC’s information management in response to an alleged inappropriate release of information related to the April 2013 Metcalf substation attack near San Jose, California.
In the letter to LaFleur, the committee leaders wrote, “The IG Management Alert raises questions concerning FERC’s management and controls of sensitive information pertaining to the integrity and security of electric grid and other critical infrastructure. In light of this report and our ongoing oversight, we write pursuant to Rules X and XI of the U.S. House of Representatives to request information to help us evaluate the facts and circumstances surrounding FERC’s management of information relating to the Metcalf incident and of sensitive security information generally." The committee requested a response from FERC by May 5, 2014.
The letter was signed by full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA), full committee Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chairman Emeritus Joe Barton (R-TX), and Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Vice Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
