E&E News: House to approve bill elevating DOE’s grid security work

The House will vote on bipartisan legislation this week that would create a new Senate-confirmed position within the Department of Energy to manage threats to the electric grid.

The “Energy Emergency Leadership Act,” H.R. 3277, from Reps. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee last May on a 30-0 vote.

It would require DOE to establish a new assistant secretary position focused on preparing for and responding to energy emergencies such as physical and cyberattacks on grid infrastructure.