Enhancing Grid Security Through Public-Private Partnerships Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

In today's cyber environment, it is more important than ever that Congress pursue policies that continue to support our grid infrastructure and secure it against potential physical and cyber threats.

This is an issue I feel very passionate about, as the grid is the backbone of our economy and touches every aspect of our lives.

Any vulnerable component is a threat to our physical and national security, as well as our clean energy future, making it imperative that we invest in grid modernization and security.

That is why I am proud to co-chair the bipartisan Grid Innovation Caucus along with my good friend from across the aisle, Mr. Latta from Ohio.

Together, we are focused on providing a forum for discussing solutions to the many challenges facing the grid and to educate Members of Congress and staff about the importance of the electric grid with relation to the economy, energy security, and advanced technologies being utilized to enhance grid capabilities.

Time is of the essence, as a recent report from the Congressional Research Service found that our Nation's bulk-power system faces new and evolving cybersecurity threats on a daily basis.

These cyberattacks can take multiple forms, such as a direct attack aimed at the electric grid itself or an indirect attack aimed at other critical infrastructure, which in turn could impact the operation of the security of the grid.

Recent cyber threats to the electric grid, such as the Triton and BlackEnergy attacks, have come in the form of deposits of malware on grid industrial control system networks, which possess the capability to damage or take over certain aspects of system control or functionality.

In addition to this, future cyber threats to the grid are expected to result from attacks directed via the Internet of Things devices connected to networks. As the CRS report noted, an example of such an IoT-based attack on residential or commercial thermostats could result in false power demand readings, causing a utility to ramp up power production unnecessarily.

Without proactive management of cyber threats facing the grid, utilities across the Nation will continue to be highly vulnerable to potentially significant attacks.

My bill, which I introduced along with Mr. Latta, assists us in this effort to bolster America's electrical infrastructure by encouraging coordination between the Department of Energy and electric utilities.

It accomplishes this by creating a program to enhance the physical and cybersecurity of electric utilities through assessing security vulnerabilities, increasing cybersecurity training, and data collection.

My bill would also require the Interruption Cost Estimate Calculator--which is used to calculate the return on investment on utility investments--to be updated at least every 2 years to ensure accurate calculations.

By encouraging partnerships among the DOE, State regulatory authorities, industry stakeholders, and other Federal agencies to promote and advance physical security and cybersecurity for electric utilities, we can best position ourselves to keep the Nation's lights on and to insulate our economy against future cyber threats.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Pallone, for moving this bill forward, and I thank the ranking member of the full committee for helping move this forward.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my fellow colleagues to support this bill.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source