SCARBOROUGH, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today applauded an announcement that a Senate Subcommittee will hold a hearing next week to consider the Securing Energy Infrastructure Act of 2016, legislation he introduced last month that seeks to protect critical U.S. energy infrastructure, like the electric grid, from potentially catastrophic cyber-attacks. The hearing follows a request from Senators King, Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) – members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and sponsors of the bill – to hold a hearing on the legislation.

            “National security officials and cyber-experts have repeatedly warned us about the dangerous impact a cyber-attack could have on major components of our national infrastructure, like our electric grid,” Senator King said. “That’s why it’s critical that we move now to examine ways to strengthen our defenses and why I am pleased the Subcommittee on Energy has agreed to take up our legislation next week. I look forward to the hearing so that we can begin an all-important discussion about how we can bolster our energy infrastructure and better protect consumers and national security.”

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Energy announced today that it will hold a hearing next Tuesday, July 12^th at 2:30 p.m. to receive testimony on the legislation. The bill would examine solutions to defend the U.S. energy grid by replacing key devices like computer-connected operating systems that are vulnerable to cyber-attacks with analog and human-operated systems – a “retro” approach that has shown promise as a safeguard against cyber-attacks. To read more about the legislation click HERE.

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