WASHINGTON, DC – The Subcommittee on Energy, chaired by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), today held its third hearing as part of the committee’s ‘DOE Modernization’ series. #SubEnergy members reviewed four bipartisan bills to enhance the Department of Energy’s ability to address energy supply emergencies and cybersecurity threats to the energy sector, including pipelines and the electric grid.

#SubEnergy reviewed the following bills:

• H.R. 5174, Energy Emergency Leadership Act, authored by committee member Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and #SubEnergy Ranking Member Bobby Rush (D-IL);


• H.R 5175, Pipeline and LNG Facility Cybersecurity Preparedness Act, authored by #SubEnergy Chairman Upton and committee member Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA);


• H.R. 5239, Cyber Sense Act, authored by #SubDCCP Chairman Bob Latta (R-OH) and Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA); and,


• H.R. 5240, Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act, also authored by Reps. McNerney and Latta.

For more information on the bills, click HERE.

“For the past two Congresses we have been working to update the Department’s authorities and capabilities both to mitigate against and respond to energy supply emergencies, especially with respect to critical energy infrastructure and to cybersecurity,” said #SubEnergy Chairman Upton. “The common theme here is to update DOE’s cybersecurity and emergency coordinating functions and provision of technical assistance to other agencies, states, and asset owners. In keeping with these modernization efforts, the legislation today continues this work.”

DOE Under Secretary Menezes listens as members deliver opening statements

Mark Menezes, Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy, outlined the department’s cybersecurity strategy, stating, “DOE plays a critical role in supporting energy sector cybersecurity to enhance the security and resilience of the Nation’s critical energy infrastructure. … As part of a comprehensive energy cybersecurity resilience strategy, the Department is focusing cyber support efforts to enhance visibility and situational awareness of operations networks; increase alignment of cyber preparedness and planning across local, state, and Federal levels; and leverage the expertise of DOE’s National Labs to drive cybersecurity innovation."

Scott Aaronson, Vice President, Security and Preparedness, Edison Electric Institute, spoke to the importance of public-private partnerships when it comes to protecting our critical infrastructure, commenting, “Security is a shared responsibility. While most critical infrastructure is owned largely by the private sector, government at all levels can and must play a role in protecting it. Through partnerships like the Electricity Sector Coordinating Council, government and industry leverage one another’s strengths. This partnership manifests itself in many ways, including deployment of government technologies, multi-directional information sharing, drills and exercises, and facilitating cross-sector coordination.”

Tristan Vance, Director, Chief Energy Officer, Indiana Office of Energy Development, echoed Mr. Aaronson’s testimony while giving his support for the bills under review, stating, “State-federal coordination and data sharing is at the heart of emergency response. … We strongly support the Discussion Drafts [H.R. 5239 and H.R. 5240] Cyber Sense and Enhancing Grid Security through Public Private Partnerships Act, and believe states can leverage these activities. The drafts build upon the work of utilities, DOE, and the states.”

The second panel fields questions from members  

Zachary Tudor, Associate Laboratory Director for National and Homeland Security, Idaho National Laboratory (INL), discussed the important role laboratories play in combating cybersecurity threats, stating, “INL is one of several national laboratories collaboratively contributing technical information and strategic planning guidance to assist DOE leadership in the early stages of developing the structure, capabilities and processes for the DOE Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER). Guidance is focused on coordinating and integrating research, development, and incident response capabilities among the multiple programs and organizations within the DOE and other federal organizations.”

“Because nearly all our nation’s energy infrastructure is privately owned and operated, the federal government needs to work closely with representatives of the energy sector and the companies in the supply chain that manufacture equipment and technologies,” concluded #FullCmte Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR). “This subcommittee has held dozens of hearings on energy infrastructure and produced several bipartisan bills to improve the resilience and reliability of our nation’s energy delivery systems. These bills ultimately make our nation more energy secure and reduce the cost of fuels and electricity for consumers.”

For more information on the ‘DOE Modernization’ series, click HERE.

The Majority Memorandum, legislative text, witness testimony and an archived webcast are available online HERE.

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