Cybersecurity Policy Report, Bill to Establish Senate-Confirmed Cyber Leader at Energy Dept. Clears House Committee, (Mar 5, 2026)
Legislation that would elevate the Department of Energy’s cybersecurity office and require it to be led by a Senate-confirmed assistant secretary was among several bills approved today by the House Energy and Commerce Committee to improve the energy sector’s cyber defenses.
The Energy Emergency Leadership Act (H.R. 7258, 119th Cong. (2026)) was introduced by Rep. Laurel Lee (R., Fla.) and cleared the committee by a vote of 50-0.
It would amend the Department of Energy Organization Act by codifying DoE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) under the leadership of a Senate-confirmed assistant secretary.
The office, established under the first Trump administration, originally had a Senate-confirmed leader, but under the Biden administration the leadership position was downgraded to a “director,” for whom DoE didn’t seek Senate confirmation.
Rep. Lee’s bill would require the position to be Senate-confirmed and would give CESER a central role in addressing cyber and physical threats to the energy sector and “emergency planning and preparedness, coordination, response, and restoration,” according to the bill’s text.
“State-sponsored cyber threats like Volt Typhoon have actively targeted U.S. critical infrastructure, including our electric grid,” Rep. Lee said during today’s markup. “This legislation strengthens accountability within the Department of Energy by ensuring that the department’s energy emergency and cybersecurity responsibilities are led by a Senate-confirmed assistant secretary.”
Other bills that the committee approved include the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act (HR 7266), the Securing Community Upgrades for a Resilient Grid (SECURE Grid) Act (HR 7257), the Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act (HR 7272), and the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act (HR 7305).
The Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, introduced by Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R., Iowa) and Jennifer McClellan (D., Va.), was approved 48-0. It would renew an expired cybersecurity grant program originally created by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The grant program, administered by DoE, would provide $250 million through 2030 to electric cooperatives, municipal electric utilities, and small investor-owned electric utilities.
The SECURE Grid Act, introduced by Reps. Bob Latta (R., Ohio), chairman of the committee’s energy subcommittee, and Doris Matsui (D., Calif.), would require states to include more granular data in the security plans they submit to the Department of Energy to qualify for federal funds. It cleared the committee by a vote of 47-0.
The Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act was introduced by Rep. Randy Weber (R., Texas) and would give DoE a lead role in the pipeline sector’s cyber preparedness and incident response. It was approved 47-0.
The Energy Threat Analysis Center Act, introduced by Rep. Kathy Castor (D., Fla.), the energy subcommittee’s ranking member, was approved by a vote of 47-0. It would reauthorize DoE’s Energy Sector Operational Support for Cyberresilience Program, a public-private cyber threat information-sharing center for the energy sector.
News: FederalLegislation DataSecurity