Cyber Security is an important element of bulk power system reliability that the electric power industry takes very seriously.

The electric utility industry is unique among critical infrastructure sectors in having a mandatory and enforceable reliability and cyber security standards regime. Under the existing regime, the electric power industry works closely with various government agencies on bulk power system security. Additionally, LPPC members actively implement cyber security measures in their utilities, and help develop reliability standards with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).

The NERC process to develop cyber security standards works, and should be maintained as other federal cyber security strategies evolve. Mitigation of cyber security threats to the electric sector is most effectively accomplished by federal authorities providing utilities with timely, actionable information.

To the extent Congress determines it is necessary, we support granting a single federal agency, with appropriate technical expertise, such as the US Department of Energy, limited, emergency power to address imminent cyber security threats to the electric sector.

Legislative approaches to mitigate cyber security risks should respond to the interconnected nature of threats to the nation’s digital infrastructure rather than singling out particular industries for piecemeal cyber regulation.

• Electric Power Sector Letter to Sen. Feinstein and Sen. Chambliss on Cyber Threat Information Sharing (June 6, 2014)
• Joint APPA-LPPC Comments to NIST on Preliminary Cyber Security Framework (December 13, 2013)
• Electric Power Sector Support for H.R. 624, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, CISPA (April 9, 2013)
• Electric Power Cyber Coalition Supports Robust Electric Grid (October 2012)
• LPPC Joins Industry Letter to Honorable Richard Burr, Honorable Michael McCaul, Honorable Devin Nunes, Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Honorable Bennie Thompson, and Honorable Adam Schiff Concerning Section 407 of the Cyber Security Information Sharing Act (November 12, 2015)
• LPPC Joins Trade Letter to Senate Concerning Amendments to Cyber Security Information Sharing Act (October 13, 2015)
• LPPC Joins Multi-association Letter Urging Senate to Pass Cyber Security Information-sharing Legislation (January 27, 2015)
• LPPC Joins Industry to Urge Senate to Pass Cyber Security Information Sharing Act of 2014 (December, 2014)
• LPPC Joins Electric Utility Cyber Coalition in Letter Urging Sen. Reid and Sen. McConnell to Pass Cyber Security Information Sharing Act of 2014 (November 20, 2014)