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Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015

Floor Speech

Date: Jan. 28, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Energy

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Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, modernizing our Nation's energy policy is vital to protecting our national security. The bill that we are discussing today advances our Nation's energy independence and provides for new measures to defend our critical infrastructure. Specifically, cyber threats challenge the security of our Nation and the integrity of our energy infrastructure. This bill will formally introduce the foundational principles of cyber security into our Nation's energy security calculus.

However, challenging the Department of Energy to enhance the cyber security of our Nation's electric grid is not enough if the Department of Energy does not have the requisite cyber experts to fulfill the mission. The amendment I submitted today, amendment 3119, will address the gap between the Department of Energy's mission to keep our Nation's energy infrastructure safe from cyber attacks and the Department of Energy's ability to actually do it.

Currently, the bill provides for a 21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board composed of nine members. The purpose of this board is to anticipate the needs of the future energy workforce. While the bill requires that the board members be representative of disciplines such as labor organizations, education, and minority parties, nowhere does the bill require that a single member of the board have any background on cyber.

My amendment requires the membership of the 21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board to include representation from the cyber security discipline. This amendment better positions the advisory board to integrate cyber security into the energy sector's workforce development strategy for the 21st Century and ultimately provides a mechanism to bring cyber security expertise to the energy sector.

Hardening the electric grid and the Nation's energy supply chains against cyber security threats is a critical component to protecting our national energy infrastructure. This amendment lays the foundation to ensure that the Department of Energy has the right cyber security experts to defend these vital national security assets.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important amendment.

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