Bipartisan energy cybersecurity bills gain House panel nod

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has approved a bipartisan energy cybersecurity-focused bill package, which is led by the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, CyberScoop reports.

Such legislation, unveiled by Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, and Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., extends the Department of Energy's Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity program that was formed under the 2022 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in a bid to provide cybersecurity support for smaller electric utilities that severely needed funding. Also advanced by the House panel was the Energy Emergency Leadership Act, which would consolidate the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response's cybersecurity responsibilities.

"At the same time our electric grid faces an increasingly complex threat landscape, state-sponsored threats like Volt Typhoon have actively targeted U.S. critical infrastructure, including our electric grid," said Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., the bill's primary sponsor.

Other measures that mandate cybersecurity inclusions in state energy plans, explain the role of the Energy Secretary in advancing oil and natural gas cybersecurity, and create a pilot Energy Threat Analysis Center have also been passed.