WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2019 – The electric grid resilience advocacy organization, Protect Our Power, today applauded the inclusion of S.174, The Securing Energy Infrastructure Act into the National Defense Authorization Act Conference Report (NDAA), which passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday and is scheduled for Senate action next week.

The Securing Energy Infrastructure Act introduced by Sen. Angus King (I-ME) and Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) would establish a program to test analog and other methods of protecting the grid from cyberattack and would authorize the use of military construction funding to make cyber and other improvements to utility systems that serve military installations.

In addition to creating a two-year pilot program, the measure would create a working group, comprised of members of the energy industry, federal government agencies, and state and regional offices responsible for securing the grid locally to craft a national strategy for securing the electrical grid.

“Inclusion of The Securing Energy Infrastructure Act into the NDAA represents important Congressional recognition that our electric grid is highly vulnerable to physical and cyber-attacks, the consequences of which could be devastating to our economy, public safety and our overall way of life,” said Jim Cunningham, Executive Director of Protect Our Power.  “Protect Our Power applauds Senators King and Risch for their leadership on this vital national security issue.”

Protect Our Power is a not-for-profit organization designed to build a consensus among key stakeholders, decision-makers and public policy influencers to launch a coordinated and adequately funded effort to make the nation’s electric grid more resilient and more resistant to all external threats. Protect Our Power has a highly experienced staff and 25-member Advisory Panel representing a broad cross-section of grid-related disciplines. POP is singularly and uniquely positioned as a non-partisan, unbiased thought leader able to serve as a convening, moderating, action-oriented voice.