S 2333 Introduced – Grid Security

Last month Sen. Cantwell (D,WA) introduced S 2333, the Energy Cybersecurity Act of 2019. The bill would require the Department of Energy to address electric grid cybersecurity, resiliency and risk assessment issues. This bill is essentially identical to S 2444 from last session which was also introduced by Cantwell. No action was taken on the earlier bill.

Cantwell is still a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration. That was not enough last session to ensure that the bill was considered in Committee. The problem remains the authorization for the expenditure of funds for the various programs in bill. It is unlikely that the new budget agreement reached just before the Senate left for summer recess will change the funding situation.