Congressmen Brett Guthrie and Bob Latta have announced a hearing to address the security of America’s energy infrastructure, focusing on both cyber and physical threats to the electric grid. The hearing, titled “Securing America’s Energy Infrastructure: Addressing Cyber and Physical Threats to the Grid,” is scheduled for December 2, 2025, at 10:30 AM ET in the Rayburn House Office Building. It will be open to the public and streamed online.
“Ensuring that our energy infrastructure, including the electric grid, can provide reliable power is one of our Committee’s top priorities,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. They emphasized the importance of protecting against malicious attacks for national security and economic stability.
Michael Ball, CEO of the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) and Senior Vice President of North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), will testify at the hearing. He will discuss E-ISAC’s role in reducing security risks by sharing information with over 1,900 member organizations. E-ISAC collaborates with U.S. government departments like DOE, DHS, FERC, FBI, and partners across sectors such as oil and natural gas.
The E-ISAC operates several programs to enhance grid security. These include a secure portal for threat warnings, a partnership with DOE called CRISP that covers over 90% of U.S. customers, and initiatives like ETAC for operational intelligence collaboration.
While no cyberattack has yet caused a loss of load in North America, nation-states like China and Russia pose ongoing threats through espionage and potential disruptions. Other concerns include domestic hacktivists and ransomware operations.
Ball recommends Congress authorize ETAC’s mission advancement, support funding for critical intelligence programs aiding smaller utilities, and reauthorize CISA 2015 to bolster information sharing between private sectors and government.
For further details or press inquiries about this hearing, contact Calvin Huggins or Ben Mullany via email.
Information from this article can be found here.