The Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee, chaired by U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), will hold a hearing next week on managing the risks and consequences of widespread power outages due to cyber-attacks and other electrical grid failures, and to assess whether we are prepared for such disasters.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, including acts of terror. The hearing will examine the vulnerabilities to a widespread power outage, and the coordination between public, private, and non-profit groups in the electrical power sector to both prepare for and manage the aftermath of a grid outage.
The Subcommittee hearing, entitled, “Blackout! Are We Prepared to Manage the Aftermath of a Cyber-Attack or Other Failure of the Electrical Grid?" is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 14, 2016, in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building.
Witness List:
Panel I:
The Honorable W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency
Ms. Patricia A. Hoffman, Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability
Ms. Caitlin A. Durkovich, Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection, National Protection and Programs Directorate, Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Richard Campbell, Specialist in Energy Policy, Congressional Research Service
Panel II:
Mr. Gerry W. Cauley, President and Chief Executive Officer, North American Electric Reliability Corporation
Mr. William H. Spence, Chief Executive Officer, PPL Corporation
Ms. Bobbi J. Kilmer, President and CEO, Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative
More information about the hearing, including testimony, additional background information, and link to live webcast, will be posted here as it becomes available.
Source: House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
