Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I thank Chairman Guthrie and colleagues on both sides of the aisle for moving forward H.R. 7305, the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026.

I rise in support of my bipartisan bill with Representative Evans of Colorado.

Madam Speaker, as you know, across the country our energy infrastructure is under attack from cybersecurity threats, and I think anyone who is tuned into this debate this afternoon understands it is very serious.

Cyberattacks can cause significant disruptions to the reliable flow of energy to American homes, businesses, and communities. Protecting our energy infrastructure against these attacks is critical to keeping the lights on, the air conditioning on where I am from, and lowering energy costs for hardworking American families and businesses.

I know that Chairman Guthrie agrees with me on this. The U.S. energy grid is remarkable. It is one of the largest, most interconnected systems in the world. It serves over 330 million people, includes over 7,300 power plants, and spans over 600,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines. It underpins our economy. If it fails, it cascades into failures in multiple other sectors, like healthcare, water, transportation, and communications.

Unfortunately, our energy system and our grid are also very old. About half of U.S. oil and gas pipelines are over 50 years old, and most transmission lines are well over 25 years old. They were not designed with modern technology and security in mind.

These dangers are not hypothetical. In 2024, U.S. intelligence agencies reported that China had successfully infiltrated and pre- positioned on U.S. critical infrastructure, including our energy systems.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation estimates that the U.S. grid is gaining about 60 new vulnerable points per day as we use more digital services, deploy new software, and expand distributed energy.

Eighty percent of U.S. energy infrastructure is owned by the private sector, so we need to make sure that they are working with the Federal Government and our intelligence community to confront the risks.

Fortunately, we have taken action to address these challenges. In 2023, the Department of Energy launched the Energy Threat Analysis Center. We call it ETAC. ETAC brings together the classified intelligence community with private energy sector operational professionals in real time. It produces sector-specific threat analysis and mitigation advisories.

This is the type of commonsense, bipartisan cooperation that we should all celebrate. My bill today with Representative Evans strengthens the Department of Energy's ability under ETAC to use information exchanges and facilitate greater public-private collaboration. It helps secure our critical infrastructure, keeps us safe from threats, and lowers energy costs for our neighbors back home.

Madam Speaker, I urge everyone to vote in favor of this bipartisan bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source