Sens. Manchin, King seek answers from NERC on protecting grid

U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Angus King (I-ME) are requesting information from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) on their efforts to protect the reliability of the U.S. power system.

In a letter sent to NERC CEO James Robb, the senators specifically asked about how the organization is dealing from supply chain vulnerabilities, particularly those posed by vendors from Russia and China.

“We are deeply concerned about companies from Russia and China in light of recent statements by the Director of National Intelligence, Daniel Coats,” Manchin and King wrote. “Director Coats noted that ‘China and Russia are more aligned than at any point since the mid-1950s, and the relationship is likely to strengthen in the coming year.’ China, according to Director Coats, has the potential to take down a natural gas pipeline, and Russia has the ability to disrupt an electrical distribution network. Unfortunately, China and Russia ‘have significantly expanded their cooperation, especially in the energy, military and technology spheres, since 2014.’”

NERC is an international regulatory authority charged with overseeing the reliability and security of the North American electric grid. NERC is subject to oversight by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and governmental authorities in Canada. NERC serves more than 334 million people.