Led by Ranking Member Frank Lucas, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Republicans sent letters to the Department of Energy (DOE) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting information about the Biden Administration’s efforts and plans to secure our country’s bulk-power system.
Electric equipment security is a critical issue and threats to these systems could have devastating impacts for American families, businesses, and our national economy.
Today, the Biden Administration stated that Executive Order 13920, which was issued to counter the threat to the United States electricity transmission network posed by foreign bulk-power system electric equipment and by foreign adversaries, resumes effect. DOE also issued a Request for Information seeking input from stakeholders on electric infrastructure security to inform its decision on whether to recommend that a replacement order be issued. President Biden ordered DOE and OMB to issue this recommendation via Executive Order 13390, so Science Committee Republicans requested an update on this process and the Administration’s interim plans for securing electric infrastructure.
The Science Committee Republicans continue to urge a comprehensive and strategic approach to electric infrastructure security and are requesting more information on the Administration’s plans to address this issue and to provide guidance to affected utilities and stakeholders.
“Threats to our nation’s electric grid and bulk-power system, including from foreign adversaries, not only persist but continue to evolve,” the letters note. “The recent SolarWinds breach, for example, reinforces the urgency of securing our critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. The catastrophic February 2021 winter storm that struck Texas and the Midwest illustrates the tragic consequences of disruption of our electric grid.”
In addition to Ranking Member Lucas, the letter was signed by the following Committee members:
Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL)
Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX)
Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX)
Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK)
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL)
Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN)
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
Rep. Young Kim (R-CA)
Re. Jake LaTurner (R-KS)
The full letter is available here.
