WASHINGTON, DC - Subcommittee on Energy Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) today published an op-ed, highlighting the need to secure our energy infrastructure against physical and cybersecurity threats and outlining the committee’s plan to help combat these threats.
Upton: Energy security must be high on the agenda
By Rep. Fred Upton
Whether it’s the flip of a light switch or plugging in your cell phone to charge - never has the reliability of our energy supply been more important to so much in our daily lives. That also means never has energy infrastructure been a greater potential target for an attack.
It is indisputable that ensuring the reliable and uninterrupted supply of fuels and electricity is absolutely essential to our nation’s economy, security, and the health and safety of its citizens. However, as our energy infrastructure has become more complex and interconnected and society has grown more dependent on this infrastructure, safeguarding it has become particularly challenging.
Recently reported high-profile attempts by foreign nations to infiltrate our nation’s energy sector, as well as a devastating year for natural disasters in 2017, highlight the need for preparing for and mitigating these real and growing threats.
We’ve read alarming reports of what might happen if there were a successful, widespread attack on our energy infrastructure-and the potential challenges to recovering from such an attack. By any measure, energy security must be at the top of Washington’s agenda, or we could face serious costly and life-threatening consequences.
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