Gardner sponsors two bipartisan bills to improve security of nation’s electrical grid

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) on July 11 sponsored two bipartisan bills to ramp up security of America’s electrical grid.

“Colorado and states across the country need to secure our energy grids and be better prepared against cyberattacks that threaten our critical infrastructure,” Sen. Gardner said on Thursday.

The senator introduced both bills with cosponsor U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO). The first bill is the Enhancing State Energy Security Planning and Emergency Preparedness Act, S. 2094, which would authorize $90 million annually to the U.S. Department of Energy(DOE) for fiscal years 2018-2022 to offer financial and technical assistance to states as they develop and update their State Energy Security Plans.

The second bill introduced by Sens. Gardner and Bennet is the Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act, S. 2095, to provide for certain programs and developments in the DOE regarding cybersecurity and related vulnerabilities and physical threats to the electric grid.

If enacted, S. 2095 would authorize the DOE to provide physical and cybersecurity assistance to electric utilities and to report on the physical and cybersecurity vulnerabilities in electricity distribution systems.

“I’ve worked with Senator Bennet on these bipartisan pieces of legislation because we both know the risk cyberattacks pose to our country and the need for leadership on these issues,” said Sen. Gardner. “This legislation will help shore up our electric grid’s vulnerabilities. I look forward to working with my colleagues to gather more bipartisan support and see these bills signed into law.”

Stakeholder support for both pieces of legislation has come in from the Colorado-based Ampex, the National Cybersecurity Center, the Cyber Institute, Protect Our Power, and the National Association of State Energy Officials.

Both S. 2094 and S. 2095 have been referred to the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for consideration.