Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) released the following joint statement today after the House of Representatives passed three energy bills:
“Right now our aging electric grid is uniquely vulnerable to cyberattack, putting our communities at risk of being disconnected by bad actors or foreign governments seeking to sow chaos," said Pallone and Rush. “Together, this legislation works to dramatically improve our cybersecurity and our readiness to combat potential attacks. These important bills will foster a much more reliable, safe and cybersecure energy sector and we’re proud that they passed today with such bipartisan support."
The House of Representatives passed the following bills:
H.R. 360, the “Cyber Sense Act of 2019," introduced by Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), requires the Secretary of Energy to establish the Cyber Sense Program. This voluntary program would identify cyber-secure products that could be used in the bulk-power system. The bill passed on the House Floor by voice vote.
H.R. 359, the “Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act," introduced by Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA), directs the Secretary of Energy - in consultation with States, other Federal agencies, and industry stakeholders - to create and implement a program to enhance the physical and cybersecurity of electric utilities. The bill also requires an update to the Interruption Cost Estimate (ICE) Calculator, an electric reliability planning tool for estimating electricity interruption costs and the benefits of reliability improvements, at least once every two years. The bill passed on the House Floor by voice vote.
H.R. 362, the “Energy Emergency Leadership Act," introduced by Chairman Rush, creates a new Department of Energy Assistant Secretary position with jurisdiction over all energy emergency and security functions related to energy supply, infrastructure and cybersecurity. The bill passed on the House Floor by voice vote.
