OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Enhancing Grid Security Through Public-Private Partnerships Act

Floor Speech

Date: July 19, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Technology and Communication Energy

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 2931, the Enhancing Grid Security Through Public-Private Partnership Act. The prior bill, this bill, and the next bill are good examples of working together on a bipartisan basis to accomplish things that are very critical to this country, and I thank my colleagues for being a very important part of this partnership.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are considering this bill today, because we simply can't afford to wait any longer to secure our Nation's critical infrastructure, including the grid. The Colonial Pipeline attack coming on the heels of the SolarWinds attack was a bright warning sign that we need to act quickly to pass this legislation.

Since the Colonial Pipeline attack, ransomware attacks have continued to skyrocket, and the need to enact H.R. 2931 has become even more pressing. H.R. 2931 would create a program to enhance the physical and cybersecurity of electric utilities. This program would develop methods for assessing security vulnerabilities. It would also provide cybersecurity training to electric utilities, advance cybersecurity of utility third-party vendors, and promote sharing of best practices and data collection in the electric sector.

Under this legislation, the Secretary of Energy would work in consultation with States, Federal agencies, and industry stakeholders to create this program. By encouraging these partnerships, we will better position ourselves to keep the Nation's lights on and to protect our grid from the growing cyber threats.

Additionally, H.R. 2931 would require the Interruption Cost Estimate Calculator, which is used to calculate the ROI on utility investments, to be updated at least every 2 years to ensure accurate calculations.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and partner in this legislation, Representative Latta from Ohio, for working with me on this important bill. I also thank Chairman Pallone, Ranking Member Rodgers, and the staff of the committee for helping us move this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT


Source
arrow_upward