House Energy and Commerce Committee advances four energy cybersecurity bills

Published on June 14, 2021 by Dave Kovaleski

The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced four bills designed to improve energy cybersecurity.

“The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack was a sharp reminder of just how deeply we all rely on our energy infrastructure every day and just how urgent it is that we act to modernize and protect it. As bad actors become increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to undermine our national security and energy reliability, it is imperative that we keep pace, and today that is exactly what we voted to do,” Committee Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) said.

All four bills passed by a voice vote, including:

• The Cyber Sense Act of 2021 (H.R. 2928), introduced by Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Jerry McNerney (D-CA), would bolster U.S. electric infrastructure by encouraging coordination between the Department of Energy and electric utilities. It passed by a voice vote.

• The Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act (H.R. 2931), also introduced by McNerney and Latta, directs the Secretary of Energy to create and implement a program to enhance the physical and cybersecurity of electric utilities. It also passed by voice vote.

• The Pipeline and LNG Facility Cybersecurity Preparedness Act (H.R. 3078), introduced by Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Bobby Rush (D-IL), would strengthen the DOE’s ability to respond to physical and cybersecurity threats to pipelines and LNG facilities. It passed by voice vote.

• The Energy Emergency Leadership Act (H.R. 3119), introduced by Reps. Rush (D-IL) and Tim Walberg (R-MI), would help elevate energy emergency and cybersecurity responsibilities as a core function for the DOE.

“Together, these four bipartisan pieces of legislation will enhance the security and resiliency of our energy system, particularly through empowering the Department of Energy with the tools it needs to respond. They represent our first legislative step toward addressing growing cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities in our energy infrastructure, and I’m grateful to all the cosponsors for their hard, bipartisan work. I look forward to the full House taking action on these bills soon,” Pallone said.