Markup of 5 Bills

The subcommittee will come to order. The chair recognizes himself for an opening statement. Today, the Energy Subcommittee will markup five bills that will update and enhance programs to help ensure the physical and cybersecurity of our nation's electric grid. These bills, two of which we have moved through the committee in past Congresses with strong bipartisan support, also strengthen the Department of Energy's ability to carry out its energy emergency functions. At our legislative hearing three weeks ago, witnesses emphasized the importance of robust collaboration between industry, states, and the federal government to ensure secure energy systems. These bills will strengthen this work by enhancing DOE's existing energy sector authorities and by providing new tools to ensure fuller industry involvement. We consider these bills today against the backdrop of growing threats to our energy systems, including advanced threats from our adversaries. As noted in recent hearings, Communist China remains the most active and persistent threat to American critical infrastructure networks. Its proxies have prepositioned attack capabilities in American infrastructure to be used during a major crisis or conflict. Addressing these and related threats is difficult and can be resource-intensive. The interconnected nature of our energy systems requires constant intelligence sharing, clear visibility into threat landscapes, and sufficient resources to fill gaps in security protections, particularly for rural and small utility service territories. The bills we consider today take important steps to accomplish this and more. H.R. 7305, the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026, led by the gentlelady from Florida's 14th Congressional District and the gentleman from Colorado's 8th Congressional District, authorizes a program that improves information sharing and coordination on threats analysis that impact the power sector. A key ingredient of this program involves two-way sharing of information between grid operators and the intelligence community to their mutual benefit, improving the ability to assess risks and threats and then how to act upon that information. H.R. 7258, the Energy Emergency Leadership Act, led by the gentlelady from Florida's 15th Congressional District and the gentleman from Ohio's 1st Congressional District, represents long-time bipartisan policy of this committee to strengthen the ability of DOE to carry out its energy sector security and emergency functions. The bill requires the energy emergency and security functions of DOE are led by an assistant secretary confirmed by the Senate. This will ensure the department has the focused and accountable leadership that will strengthen intergovernmental and energy sector collaboration. H.R. 7266, the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, led by the gentlelady from Iowa's 1st Congressional District and the gentlelady from Virginia's 4th Congressional District, provides targeted funding and technical assistance so small utilities, electric cooperatives, and public power agencies have the resources to secure their critical electric systems, including systems serving military installations. Of course, we heard during our legislative hearing, states are critical to energy security. They have unique visibility into the interconnected relationships, risks, and vulnerabilities related to the energy systems within their own borders. H.R. 7257, the Secure Grid Act, which I sponsored with my colleague and friend from California's 7th Congressional District, builds upon the existing state energy security plan framework to expand the visibility of potential threats to local electric distribution and supply chain networks. Finally, as the sector risk management agency for the energy sector, DOE must have visibility over the whole energy sector, which as we heard in the legislative hearing, is comprised of increasingly interconnected systems. Because of this, DOE actively works not only with the power sector but also the oil and gas sector to prepare and respond appropriately to emergencies. DOE's technical capabilities and central role in the federal energy coordination make it well-positioned to improve the complex layers of communication necessary for energy sector security. H.R. 7272, the Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act, led by the subcommittee's vice chairman from Texas' 14th District and the gentlelady from Michigan's 6th Congressional District, does just this. It builds on DOE's leadership to establish a non-regulatory program to improve the coordination and other assistance across the energy sector, states, and the federal government with regard to the security and resilience of pipelines and other facilities that deliver the nation's oil and gas and are necessary for reliable energy power. All told, these bills advance the important and bipartisan work of the subcommittee to protect critical energy infrastructure. And with that, I yield back and now recognize the gentlelady from Florida's 14th District, the ranking member of the subcommittee, for five minutes for an opening statement.

Today's bills take important bipartisan steps to protect the electric grid and keep Americans safe. Several of the bills reauthorize vital initiatives that Congress created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that protect Americans from cyber and physical infrastructure threats. And while it's a start, it is not enough. The majority is not working with us, with Democrats, to meet the moment to help lower electric bills, modernize the grid, and get more power onto the grid. Our neighbors back home are feeling the pain of rising electricity and utility bills. They're up on average across the country 13 percent, much higher in other places. In some places, 49 states and the District of Columbia announced rate hikes in 2025, including Florida, where our Republican Public Utilities Commission rubber-stamped almost $6 billion in rate hike increases last year. As the energy affordability crisis escalated last year, what was the Republicans' answer? It was the big ugly bill that gutted cost-saving initiatives that would have helped us get more energy to the grid and save families money. So instead of addressing higher costs, Republicans inflicted the higher costs onto hardworking Americans while billionaires pocketed tax breaks that they do not need, and we're left with a less secure electric system. Plus, the president has been on a tear, canceling clean energy projects that would have powered an estimated 13.5 million homes. And this committee should not stand idly by while the administration takes illegal actions to keep new energy resources off the grid and withholds funds for upgrading America's electric grid. We saw just last week amid Winter Storm Finn how resilient a well-planned electric grid keeps people alive and reduces prices. The FERC commissioners advised this subcommittee just yesterday how the aging grid is a major problem. And looking at market data, we can clearly see that transmission bottlenecks contribute to higher prices. When transmission capacity is limited, that means that customers in constrained areas must rely on higher-cost generation resources even though cheaper power exists nearby. We know that for every $1 invested in well-planned long-distance high-capacity transmission, we get $5 back in reliability and economic benefits. We have modern solutions. What doesn't help is forcing old polluting plants to stay online, especially when those operators and utilities don't want them. Just look at Colorado, where the owners of a Colorado coal plant are suing the Department of Energy for forcing the plant to stay online just one day before it was set to retire. Our grid is facing significant risks, as NERC has highlighted. But we can't just wave around the word emergency to justify bad policy. We will not solve our 21st-century energy challenges with 21st-century solutions. Again, the FERC commissioners yesterday also advised regarding the strength of what a diverse energy mix means and deploying next-generation tools like grid-enhancing technologies and distributed power plants. This committee should work to strengthen our transmission infrastructure and put a lot of those new modern tools to work for the folks we represent back home: solar plus battery systems, expand onshore and offshore wind power, increase energy efficiency, and incorporate grid-enhancing technologies and demand flexibility. We talk an awful lot about winning the AI race and safeguarding our national security threats from malicious foreign actors. But the hard truth is that we're losing the 21st-century energy race. China now has about 44 percent of the world's operating utility-scale solar and wind. That's more than the entire European Union, United States, and India combined. They manufacture more than 90 percent of solar modules and 80 percent of wind turbines. And they're exporting most of that renewable capacity as much as they are installing domestically. The United States should not be left behind. That is just not acceptable. Today's bills, Mr. Chairman, are not enough. So I urge my Republican colleagues to work with us in a bipartisan manner on additional substantive policy that strengthens our grid, helps meet rising electricity demand, and lowers prices for hardworking families. I yield back.

Thank you. The gentlelady yields back. The chair now recognizes the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from Kentucky, for five minutes for an opening statement.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity to be here. And thank you, Ranking Member Castor, for holding this markup to advance five bipartisan bills through the full committee. Throughout the 119th Congress, this committee has held several hearings examining the state of our nation's energy system and persistent threats facing critical infrastructure, both from adversarial nations and from nefarious actors. We know the rising energy demands and a growing reliance on internet networks of energy delivery systems could widen attack surfaces and opportunities to cause harm and sow chaos in the daily lives of hardworking Americans. The bipartisan legislation before us today builds upon the important work being done across the country under the leadership of the Department of Energy and will ensure a more secure and resilient system as we enter an era of skyrocketing energy demands. As a sector risk management agency for energy for the energy industry, the Department of Energy is uniquely positioned to play a leadership role in securing critical infrastructure that everyday Americans rely on. Bills being considered today will advance DOE's existing authority to protect infrastructure that is essential to the efficient and reliable delivery of energy. Importantly, legislation before us today will also fill critical gaps in cybersecurity protections for rural and remote areas of the country, and they will improve coordination between public and private entities. All together, these bills will equip government and industry partners with necessary cybersecurity protections and advance more effective leadership from the federal entities to prepare and defend against potential attacks. I urge my colleagues to support the bills before us today, and I yield back.

Thank you. The gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The chair now recognizes the ranking member of the full committee, the gentleman from New Jersey, for five minutes for an opening statement.

Thank you, Chairman Latta, for holding the markup on five bipartisan cybersecurity bills. Our energy system is under threat from uncontrolled increases in electricity demand, from extreme weather like we saw the past two weeks, and from cyber threats. And those cyber threats can come from nation-state actors like Russia and China or sophisticated terrorist organizations or hacking groups without the support of a nation-state. Regardless of the source, these are genuine threats to the reliability of the power grid that every single American relies on every day. Now, the bills before the subcommittee represent an attempt to reduce our vulnerability to cybersecurity risks. They're not to eliminate the risk, but they represent an important step forward. Three of the bills amend or reauthorize provisions that were established in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which passed nearly five years ago. And I'm pleased to see that Republicans are finally seeing the value of some of the programs in that law. But we are only reauthorizing a tiny subset of the programs created and enhanced by that law. Cybersecurity is critical to energy reliability, and there are a lot of other programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law focusing on reliability that also need reauthorization, and we should be working together to reauthorize those as well. Now, we're also marking up legislation that ensures the Department of Energy has the authorities it needs to enhance energy security. But the department's leadership needs to start showing that they care about energy security. Instead of focusing on that, Secretary Wright has illegally canceled over $2 billion in investments in our nation's power, even as winter storms over the last two weeks have once again stressed the need to modernize our nation's grid for the future. And I think that's a shame, obviously. One of the programs we're reauthorizing today had $80 million in funds for rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities that was held up for countless months due to senseless delays at Trump's Department of Energy. And if we want the programs we're reauthorizing today to succeed, we have to ensure that that never happens again. So with that, I yield back, Mr. Chairman, the balance of my time.

Well, thank you very much. The gentleman yields back the balance of his time. And the chair reminds members that pursuant to the committee rules, all members' opening statements will be made part of the record. Before I ask if there are any further opening statements, I'm just going to let everybody know we're going to I'm going to try to keep the subcommittee markup moving so we will finish before 3:30 before the first votes are called. Are there further opening statements? Seeing none, the chair calls up H.R. 7305 and asks the clerk to report.

H.R. 7305, a bill to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with, and the bill will be open for amendment at any point so ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? For what purpose does the gentlelady from Florida, the ranking member of the subcommittee, seek recognition?

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word on H.R. 7305.

The gentlelady is recognized for five minutes to strike the last word.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The first bill is the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act with that's led by Congressman Evans. This is a straightforward common-sense bill that formally authorizes a bipartisan cybersecurity initiative originally created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. ETAC is designed to enhance and test the Department of Energy's emergency response capabilities. It supports the department's ability to coordinate with other agencies, industry, the national labs, and the intelligence community in the face of cybersecurity threats. These threats are real, and they are dangerous. Just last year, it was revealed that Chinese hackers had infiltrated the systems of a Massachusetts utility where the cyberattack went undetected for nearly a year. That's just one example. This bill strengthens the department's ability under ETAC to use public-private collaborations to analyze threats to the energy sector via information exchanges. It helps secure our critical infrastructure and keep our neighbors safe from energy system threats. So members, I encourage you to support this bipartisan bill, proud to lead it with Congressman Evans. I yield back my time.

Thank you. The gentlelady yields back. For what purpose does the gentleman from Colorado seek recognition?

Move to strike the last word.

The gentleman is recognized to strike the last word and is recognized for five minutes to speak on the bill.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And of course to the ranking member, not only for the markup, but a special thanks to the ranking member for working with me on this bipartisan Energy Threat Analysis or ETAC Reauthorization Act. I'm proud to represent my home state of Colorado in co-leading this bill given its importance for both Colorado's economy and our national security. Many of you know before I came to Congress, I served both as a police officer for 10 years in the Denver metro area and in the U.S. Army in the Colorado Army National Guard for 12 years, responding to multiple different threats, both internal and external to the country. And in both of those capacities, we had something called a fusion center that worked to collaborate and integrate information from multiple different sources to be able to protect from the very potent threat environment that we're facing. That coordination and that communication literally saved lives, and I saw that up close as a both police officer and a soldier. ETAC, the Energy Threat Analysis Center, serves a very similar purpose to protect our nation's energy generation and transmission infrastructure from potential threats. And I'm proud that Colorado's very own National Lab of the Rockies is the primary national lab that hosts ETAC. National Lab of the Rockies leads this public-private partnership along with the Department of Energy and electric utilities like Xcel Energy in Colorado to conduct preventive research and real-world cybersecurity threat assessments to secure our critical infrastructure. The National Lab of the Rockies is perfectly situated as the only ETAC co-located with other critical DOE field offices, federal partnerships, and research institutions to help that information flow. We know that the broader workforce and economy in Colorado is perfectly well-situated to protect communities, and they represent strong talent from across the Front Range where innovative tech development and all of the above energy production is abundant. In an era where major cybersecurity adversaries to the United States are increasing attacks on critical infrastructure, it's essential that we reauthorize ETAC. CCP-backed, Chinese Communist Party-backed hacker groups like Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon have already embedded themselves in networks within critical infrastructure, and they're operating at times undetected. Small towns and rural areas quite often don't have the resources and the infrastructure to prevent attacks like this and are left with massive disruptions and costs when an attack occurs. These hackers are lying in wait, ready to disrupt key energy systems that are crucial to daily life, to domestic production, and military readiness. The preventive work that ETAC does protects communities and our national security from attacks like these, oftentimes before threats even emerge. Through ETAC's pilot program, it has become clear to DOE that comprehensive preventive cybersecurity is needed more than ever, and it has to be done in tandem with our industry partners who oversee the operations of our energy sector day-to-day, second-by-second throughout the nation. I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me today in supporting this common-sense bipartisan legislation to reauthorize ETAC and continue the difficult but necessary work that we have in front of us to secure our nation's critical energy infrastructure. Thank you, and yield back.

Thank you very much. The gentleman yields back the balance of his time. Is there any further discussion on the bill? Seeing none, the question now occurs on adopting H.R. 7305. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] Those opposed, nay. The ayes have it. The bill is adopted and forwarded to the committee. The chair calls up H.R. 7258 and asks the clerk to report.

H.R. 7258, a bill to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act with respect to...

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with, and the bill will be open to amendment at any point so ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? For what purpose does the gentlelady from Florida seek recognition?

I'd like to be heard on the bill, Mr. Chairman.

The gentlelady is recognized to speak for five minutes to strike the last word on the bill.

Mr. Chairman, I am proud to lead H.R. 7258, the Energy Emergency Leadership Act, alongside my friend Mr. Landsman from Ohio. I also want to thank Mr. Walberg of Michigan and Mr. Balderson of Ohio for their co-sponsorship, as well as Chairman Latta and Chairman Guthrie for including it in today's markup. Today, the United States is seeing an all-time high in energy demand, fueled by advances in AI and data centers, growth in manufacturing, and rapid electrification. At the same time, our electric grid faces an increasingly complex threat landscape. State-sponsored cyber threats like Volt Typhoon have actively targeted U.S. critical infrastructure, including our electric grid. In recent years, we have also seen a significant rise in physical attacks on our electric grid, such as deliberate acts of vandalism and sabotage. Meanwhile, natural disasters can cause widespread disruption and outages, an unfortunate reality all too familiar in my home state of Florida. As such, strengthening the security and resilience of America's electric grid must remain a top priority of this committee and for the Department of Energy. This is why I introduced the Energy Emergency Leadership Act, which would elevate DOE's energy emergency and cybersecurity responsibilities by requiring these critical functions to be led by a Senate-confirmed assistant secretary. The bill also clarifies DOE's cyber and energy emergency functions in the department's enabling statute. By doing so, the Energy Emergency Leadership Act will ensure the department has the focused and accountable leadership to better protect the public from fuel and electricity supply disruptions and all hazards, whether natural or man-made, including emergency threats, emerging threats from our foreign adversaries to the nation's electric grid. As our energy landscape evolves, so must our response. At the legislative hearing back in mid-January, we heard from witnesses about DOE's central role in protecting the energy sector and how the Energy Emergency Leadership Act will help us to support that mission. Dr. Nathaniel Melby, the vice president and chief information officer at the Dairyland Power Cooperative, noted in his written testimony that the Energy Emergency Leadership Act rightly elevates the energy security and cybersecurity concerns to the assistant secretary level, ensuring that these critical issues receive the high-end attention that they deserve within the department and across federal partnerships. Similarly, Ms. Adrienne Lotto, the senior vice president of grid security, technical, and operational services at the American Public Power Association, wrote that given the ever-changing cyber and physical threats to energy infrastructure, APPA believes it is reasonable for these essential functions to report to an assistant secretary. I appreciate APPA's endorsement of this bill. The witnesses also underscored DOE's active role with other agencies and how critical collaboration and partnerships are necessary to protect our critical energy infrastructure. The bill will ensure the department carries out its responsibilities more effectively when coordinating with other agencies by improving coordination across the department, ensuring more effective interagency collaborations, and increasing accountability to Congress. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7258 to ensure high-level leadership over energy emergencies at DOE and to better protect our grid against present and emerging threats. Thank you, and I yield back.

Well, thank you very much. The gentlelady yields back. Are there any other members seeking recognition on the bill? Seeing none, the question now occurs on adopting H.R. 7258. All those in favor signify by saying aye. [Ayes.] Those opposed, nay. The ayes have it, and the bill is adopted and forwarded to the full committee. The chair calls up H.R. 7266 and asks the clerk to report.

H.R. 7266, a bill to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act to reauthorize the rural...

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with, and the bill will be open for amendment at any point so ordered. Does anyone seek to be recognized on the bill? For what purpose does the gentlelady from Iowa seek recognition?

Move to strike the last word.

The gentlelady is recognized for five minutes to strike the last word.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My bipartisan legislation with Representative McClellan, the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, is a bipartisan bill to reauthorize and strengthen a critical program that helps rural and municipal electric utilities defend against growing cybersecurity threats to our nation's energy grid. As cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure become more sophisticated and frequent, this bill ensures that rural electric cooperatives and small utilities have access to advanced cybersecurity tools, technical assistance, and grant funding to protect, detect, respond to, and recover from cyber threats. In Iowa's 1st District, rural electric cooperatives serve ratepayers across our 20 counties. These cooperatives face the same sophisticated cyber threats as major metropolitan systems but often lack the resources to defend against them. This bill ensures our local utilities have the tools they need to protect the grid that powers our homes, farms, and small businesses. This is a straightforward piece of legislation that reauthorizes the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program and authorizes $250 million over five years to support the deployment of advanced cybersecurity technologies and participation in information sharing programs. Mr. Chairman, at a time when cyberattacks on our critical infrastructure are escalating, small and rural utilities need the resources to defend against nation-state actors and sophisticated threats. This bill provides exactly that support. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

Thank you. The gentlelady yields back. Are there other members wishing to seek recognition? And for what purpose does the gentlelady from Virginia seek recognition?

Mr. Chair, I'd like to speak to the bill.

The gentlelady is recognized for five minutes to strike the last word.

Thank you. I want to speak in favor of this important bill, the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, which represents the sort of bipartisan work that is important for the security and stability of the American grid and the safety of the American people. This bill reauthorizes and strengthens the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program, or RUMC, a vital program that supports rural and small municipal utilities to protect themselves against an ever-multiplying number of cybersecurity threats that could prove severely disruptive to rural communities like the ones I represent in Virginia's 4th Congressional District. Far too often, these communities are under-resourced and lack the support necessary to defend against malign actors targeting important infrastructure and services. This bill will fill those gaps and ensure these communities can face the challenges of our ever-increasing digital and interconnected world. And by hardening some of the most vulnerable targets in our power system, the bill will bolster our cybersecurity defenses for the entire nation's grid. It will also strengthen RUMC's program by allowing the Department of Energy additional flexibility in the way it structures technical assistance and financial awards, allowing small utilities and cooperatives even greater access. However, I do want to mention one issue. ...The Trump administration held up roughly $80 million in funds under the RMUC program until just after we had our hearing on this issue in January. And while I'm glad the funds are finally being dispersed, the withholding was not lawful and was merely one instance of President Trump and Secretary Wright arbitrarily taking action that harms American families and increases their power bills. And that must stop, not just for this program, but across the board. The RMUC program is a key tool in our efforts to safeguard the grid's integrity. And I am pleased to partner with my colleague from Iowa, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, to advance this bill and urge my colleagues to support the reauthorization of this important program. Thank you, and I yield back.

Thank you. The gentlelady yields back. Is there any further discussion on the bill? For what purpose does the gentlelady from Iowa's 1st District seek recognition?

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

The clerk will report the amendment. Oh, do you have the amendment number?

No, sir. Oh, wait, I do. You got it?

SC_MD_HR7266_01, amendment to H.R. 7266, offered by Member Miller-Meeks.

Without objection, the clerk will report, but also at this time, without objection, the reading of the amendment is dispensed with and the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes in support of her amendment.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This amendment is a simple technical change that shifts the start of the five-year reauthorization period from 2026 to 2027. I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment and I yield back.

Thank you. Is there any further discussion on the amendment? Without any further discussion, all those in favor will signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay. The ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. Are there any further amendments? Hearing none, the question now occurs on adopting H.R. 7266 as amended. All those in favor as amended, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, nay. The ayes have it and the bill is adopted and forwarded to the full committee. The chair calls up H.R. 7257 and asks the clerk to report.

H.R. 7257, a bill to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to require states to...

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with and the bill will be open for amendment at any point so ordered. The chair recognizes himself to speak in support of the bill. H.R. 7257, the Secure Grid Act, which I have co-sponsored with my colleague from California's 7th Congressional District. What this bill does, since Congress formalized the state energy security planning process through the Energy Policy Conservation Act, EPCA, in 2021, state energy offices and governors have worked methodically and efficiently to identify vulnerabilities and improve threat response efforts. H.R. 7257 improves the state energy security planning process by taking a more holistic approach to the potential threats and solutions for more resilient critical infrastructure. Throughout the 119th Congress, this subcommittee has held several hearings with experts and administration officials to examine the state of our nation's energy systems. We know that adversarial nations and nefarious actors are actively seeking out any vulnerability in our interconnected energy infrastructure to sow chaos and cause harm to everyday Americans. This comes at a time where our reliance on energy is only becoming more apparent because AI advancements, reshoring of manufacturing facilities, and general economy-wide electrification. This requires proactive information sharing on threat analysis, constant vigilance, and clear visibility into the widening threat of that landscape. Importantly, states play an important role in managing the security of their respective jurisdictions. Through state energy security plans, state energy offices and their governors are able to put processes in place to detect, mitigate, respond to potential attacks targeting critical infrastructure. This legislation will enhance that approach by ensuring states consider the security and resilience of local distribution systems, as well as incorporate the expertise of grid component manufacturers and suppliers. The draft being considered today also incorporates language to ensure that governors remain ultimately responsible for the approval of their own state energy security plans. Given the state's authority and understanding of how their own energy systems work, it's imperative that they are empowered to develop their own plans while working collaboratively with federal partners. This legislation is another important step to secure our economic future and always keep the lights on for all Americans. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation and I yield back the balance of my time. And for what purpose does the gentlelady from California's 7th District...

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word and speak in support of this bill.

The gentlelady is recognized for five minutes to strike the last word.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you, Chairman Latta, for working with my office on this important legislation and look forward to advancing this bill to the full committee. Keeping the lights on is our number one priority. Our lives depend on reliable, affordable electricity. When you get home from work, when you get up in the morning, you flip that switch and you expect the lights to come on, no questions asked. And when disaster strikes and the power goes out, whether it's a winter storm, a wildfire, or an atmospheric river, you expect power to be restored immediately. Thanks to the incredible hardworking line crews in Sacramento and across the country, power outages are typically rare and brief. But that doesn't happen by accident. That takes planning and preparation. The electric grid faces growing threats from cyber and physical attacks to increasingly severe weather driven by climate change. The Secure Grid Act addresses those threats by requiring states to develop and maintain energy security plans and providing federal funding to implement these plans. Energy security plans help states working with the Department of Energy and the national labs to identify, assess, and address any risk to the electric grid and make contingency plans for grid emergencies. In California, we take grid resiliency seriously because we know how easily the electric grid can spark a wildfire that can engulf thousands of acres. That's why I've long supported federal resiliency programs like the Department of Energy's GRIP program, which I co-authored and which we were able to secure as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Resiliency is and should always be bipartisan. So I want to thank Chairman Latta for his work on this bill and I look forward to continuing to work in a bipartisan fashion to make tweaks that make this legislation even better as we move towards a full committee markup. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and I yield back the balance of my time.

Well, thank you very much. The gentlelady yields back. Is there any further, any other members wishing to be recognized on the bill? Seeing none, are there any amendments? Seeing none, the question now occurs on adopting H.R. 7257. All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, nay. The ayes have it and the bill is adopted and forwarded to the full committee. The chair calls up H.R. 7272 and asks the clerk to report.

H.R. 7272, a bill to require the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program...

Without objection, the first reading of the bill is dispensed with and the bill will be open for amendment at any point so ordered. Are there any members seeking to be recognized on the bill?

Mr. Chairman.

For what purpose does the vice chairman of the subcommittee from Texas seek recognition?

I seek recognition to speak on H.R. 7272.

The gentleman is recognized to speak on the bill for five minutes.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The top line on this is that the legislation would require the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program that improves coordination among federal agencies, among states, as well as the energy sector to ensure the security of pipelines and LNG facilities. My legislation, the Pipeline Cyber Security Preparedness Act, which I'm proud to lead with my friend from Michigan, Representative Dingell, I don't see her here today, has long-standing support in this committee. Addressing both cyber and physical threats and other hazards to our fuel infrastructure requires information sharing and coordination among infrastructure owners, states, as well as the federal government. It also requires visibility over the whole energy sector, from fuels to power, upstream to downstream, and our facilities that secure American energy dominance across the world, Mr. Chairman. The Department of Energy, DOE, serves by law, pardon me, as the government's energy sector lead and as such has broad visibility and the expertise to ensure security and hazards coordination across the entire energy sector. H.R. 7272 would improve how the Department of Energy works with others to ensure the security and resilience of pipelines as well as LNG facilities that our energy sector depend upon for the reliable supply of fuels as well as electricity. This legislation focuses on DOE's vast technical capabilities to develop a program that improves the coordination and the technical support needed to ensure timely, efficient, and effective work to secure our energy systems and response to disruptions. To be extremely clear, H.R. 7272 does not create nor does it authorize a regulatory program. Let me repeat. This bill does not create nor does it authorize a regulatory program. It is intended to strengthen DOE's ability to improve, to inform, and build capabilities within states as well as access across the energy sector. Pardon me. Other agencies like Transportation Security Administration, TSA, certainly play a vital role when it comes to cybersecurity for pipelines, but the Department of Energy retains responsibility over the whole energy and power sector. It also already leads federal coordination on this front. This bipartisan effort will maximize for the public interest DOE's capabilities and in turn strengthen all stakeholders in security for the delivery of fuels as well as power. With that, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7272.

Will the gentleman yield a minute and 43 seconds?

Yes.

So thank Mr. Chair, Mr. Vice Chair. Our nation's economy and security are dependent on the uninterrupted supply of fuels and electricity, and pipelines play an essential role in the reliability of this system. Both the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Fixing America's Transportation Act provide DOE with a range of emergency response and cybersecurity authorities, including the designation of DOE as a sector risk management agency for the energy sector. In this role, DOE is required to coordinate with other agencies and work with energy sector to identify vulnerabilities and mitigate incidents. H.R. 7272 would bolster coordination and information sharing for incident responses, provide for the pilot demonstration projects, and develop curricula for pipeline and LNG facilities. H.R. 7272 will also improve the quality of this coordination by allowing DOE to work more closely with the energy sector and states to strengthen system resiliency. Importantly, this legislation has no impact, no impact on the authority of any other federal agency relating to the physical or cybersecurity of pipelines or LNG facilities. It does not provide any new regulatory authority, regulatory authority, and instructs DOE to use its expertise at the sector risk management agency to strengthen the resilience of our nation's critical energy and infrastructure. The bill enjoys a strong bipartisan history, and I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for working with us, and I and I appreciate I urge support and I will yield back to my friend from Texas.

The gentleman from Kentucky yields back and so do I, Mr. Chairman.

Well, thank you very much. The gentleman yields back and the chair now recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey, the ranking member of the full committee, to strike the last word for five minutes.

The last word. Thank you, Chairman Latta. I strongly support H.R. 7272, the Pipeline Cyber Security Preparedness Act, because cybersecurity threats to our energy system are not limited to the power grid. They can impact our nation's fuel delivery systems, and we saw an explicit example of this nearly five years ago when cybercriminals hacked the Colonial Pipeline and left much of the East Coast struggling for access to gasoline and diesel. This bill would codify and enhance the Department of Energy's role in pipeline security. It would also allow DOE to develop pilot and demonstration projects to keep our nation's energy systems safe and to help develop the next generation of energy workers that are on the front lines of energy security. DOE has the relationships with companies across the energy industry necessary to drive the change we need to see, and it must have leadership role in any federal government efforts to protect both the physical and cybersecurity of our energy infrastructure. But before I yield back, Mr. Chairman, I have to note that the committee has more work to do in ensuring the safety, not just the security, of our nation's pipeline system. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's authorization for pipeline safety activities ran out nearly two and a half years ago. The Transportation Infrastructure Committee has passed a bipartisan reauthorization bill. The Senate Commerce Committee has passed a bipartisan reauthorization bill. But our committee is behind the curve. We've not even had a legislative hearing on a proposal. So Mr. Chairman, this committee cannot stand idly by as the Trump administration attacks the safety of American pipelines. We must craft a bipartisan reauthorization for pipeline safety. But I know that work is critical, I know it's for another day. For the moment, I'm glad the committee can pass this important legislation on pipeline security. I urge my colleagues...

Will the gentleman yield?

Sure, of course.

Yes. Thank you. I yield back.

He said thanks.

The gentleman said thank you.

Oh, that's just a thank you. All right. I appreciate I love you, thank you, you're the best. All right. Where's the tie today? Okay. All right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.

I think the gentleman yields back now. Okay. All right. Is there any further discussion on the bill? Seeing none, the question now occurs on adopting H.R. 7272. All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay. The ayes have it. I'm sorry, Mr. Chairman, how am I recorded? You're you got an aye up there. [Laughter.] That aye. Yeah, the ayes have it, the bill is adopted and forwarded to the full committee. Without objection, staff is authorized to make technical and conforming changes to the legislation approved by the committee today so ordered. Before I bring the gavel down, I just want to thank everybody for yesterday's hearing. We've had such great feedback on our FERC hearing yesterday from so many people that you know, we had every chair about filled in here for a long period of time, but they I think we had 32 members ask questions yesterday. So I just want to thank everybody for their hard work yesterday in the subcommittee with FERC. Without objection, the committee stands adjourned. [Gavel sounds.]