Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7305) to amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reauthorize the Department of Energy's Energy Sector Operational Support for Cyberresilience Program to provide operational support for energy sector cybersecurity and resilience, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 7305.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7305, the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act, sponsored by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Evans), my good friends.

The bill was reported favorably on a unanimous, bipartisan vote by the Energy and Commerce Committee.

The United States has one of the most complex energy systems in the world, and those systems are essential for the health and welfare of the public, our economy, and our security.

Our adversaries know this, and they work persistently to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in our critical energy infrastructure, creating a looming threat few Americans may appreciate.

We must take action to improve our ability to identify, analyze, and share information about these threats to safeguard our systems and mitigate risks and impacts.

The Energy Threat Analysis Center, or ETAC, was established as a DOE pilot program just a few years ago.

The program convenes energy sector stakeholders and Federal Government experts to more effectively identify and address the threats to our critical infrastructure, especially those posed by our nation- state adversaries.

Identifying and mitigating threats will become even more urgent as technology advances. The ETAC enables grid operators to see threats and our intelligence community and Federal experts to better understand system vulnerabilities, improving threat identification.

H.R. 7305 reauthorizes ETAC for 5 years and clarifies authorities to enhance collaboration between grid operators, utilities, and the government, including the intelligence community.

This is a critical operational program to strengthen the collective defense, response, and resilience of our energy sector.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank everyone for their hard work on this bill, and I thank Ms. Castor for her comments about our aging grid or aging infrastructure. I know the big work of this committee going forward through this summer and fall is making sure we have permit reform in place so not only can we move the energy like we talked about with pipelines and generation but transmitting it to where it needs to go. I look forward to those efforts, and I will make that commitment on this floor. I know we will work together to get there, but on this particular piece of legislation, I thank Congresswoman Castor for her hard work on the ETAC, along with Congressman Evans.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 7305, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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.