H.R. 7257 — SECURE Grid Act

This section expands State energy security plans to address risks to local distribution systems. It defines a local distribution system as any energy infrastructure owned and operated by an electric utility at a voltage of 100 kilovolts or less, requires plans to address physical threats (including weather-related events, attacks on local distribution and bulk-power systems, and supply chain risks) and cybersecurity threats to local distribution systems that may affect the bulk-power system, and mandates risk mitigation approaches to enhance reliability and end-use resilience. The section also broadens consultation requirements to include suppliers of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution equipment; removes the requirement for Secretary approval of State plan submissions; changes a permissive provision to a mandatory one; and sunsets the authority on September 30, 2031.

This section directs the Comptroller General to submit a report by September 30, 2030, to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources evaluating the efficacy of State energy security plans. The report must assess whether and how such plans have improved States’ ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risks to energy infrastructure and supply chains and to plan for, respond to, and recover from energy supply disruptions; provide recommendations for improving those abilities and for enhancing federal-state coordination by the Secretary of Energy; detail federal financial assistance provided under part D of title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6321 et seq.) that States used to implement the plans and the activities supported by that assistance; analyze the efficacy of section 366 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 6326), as amended by this Act; and report on State use of assistance under section 366(f), including any resulting revisions to State energy security plans. The report must be in a form suitable for public release, except that protected information under section 366(h) shall appear in a non-public annex.