North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015
Floor Speech
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Mr. NORCROSS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
First of all, I appreciate the chairman and ranking member bringing this bill to us.
As we know and the title indicates, this is about energy security. Well, my amendment is very simple and direct. We are urging and specifically directing that the Secretary of Energy study the potential cybersecurity weakness in smart meters and to report back on this in 1 year.
So the first question is: What is a smart meter? For the consumer, it is that little box outside your air conditioner or by the panel. It provides savings to the consumer, and to the utility provider, it is about providing that secure, reliable electricity at a competitive price.
But these meters were designed back before the world as we know it today. Now we have to think of things very differently and think of them before they happen.
So what are the risks? A GAO official revealed the vulnerability in these smart meters. There are approximately 40 million to 50 million of these meters that are already installed in hospitals, churches, homes, and in industry that could potentially be a target for hackers. That is why we should be concerned.
The CIA report spoke about that malicious activity against IT systems and power systems overseas. Our society has become so reliant on the very electricity that we are standing under today that those who would do damage to our country might have a vulnerability here. And we need to act before they do. This is why I bring this amendment forward.
I started out as an electrician many years ago, so I understand the power side of it. I sit on the Emerging Threats Subcommittee. I hear those threats each and every day. We have to make sure that we keep our homes, our businesses, and, most importantly, our military safe.
We are talking about damaged equipment and potentially massive blackouts, not just like the ones we had in New York almost a decade ago but potentially taking down our entire grid.
Smart meters are now part of the fabric of what we do day in and day out. This amendment very carefully identifies those vulnerabilities. I would urge members to support this.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. NORCROSS. I certainly appreciate the support. This is just one of many items that we have to look forward to before those who want to do us harm. So I appreciate it, and I urge the passing of this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
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