Legislation from Congressman Tim Walberg intended to protect the nation’s energy infrastructure has been advanced by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The Energy Emergency Leadership Act would require the Department of Energy to assign energy emergency and energy security functions to an assistant secretary, creating a new position responsible for overseeing such matters. Walberg says a change like this is more needed than ever.
“With an increase in attacks on our critical energy infrastructure, strengthening our cyber defense and emergency response capabilities in the energy sector has never been more important,” Walberg said.
Walberg says the Department of Energy’s emergency functions have long been oriented around oil supply shocks, despite new threats, and are not clearly identified as core functions. His bill seeks to modernize the department’s emergency preparedness.
“This bipartisan legislation will help to strengthen our cyber defense and emergency response capabilities to make our grid more resilient.”
Walberg says his bill will help elevate energy emergency and cybersecurity responsibilities as a core function for the department and better protect the nation’s grid and energy infrastructure.
