Enhanced Grid Security Act of 2015

Department— The term Department means the Department of Energy.

Electric utility— The term electric utility has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796).

ES-ISAC— The term ES-ISAC means the Electricity Sector Information Sharing and Analysis Center.

National Laboratory— The term National Laboratory has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).

Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of Energy.

Sector-Specific Agency— The term Sector-Specific Agency has the meaning given the term in the Presidential policy directive entitled “Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience”, numbered 21, and dated February 12, 2013.

to develop advanced cybersecurity applications and technologies for the energy sector—

to leverage electric grid architecture as a means to assess risks to the energy sector, including by implementing an all-hazards approach to communications infrastructure, control systems architecture, and power systems architecture;

to perform pilot demonstration projects with the energy sector to gain experience with new technologies; and

to develop workforce development curricula for energy sector-related cybersecurity.

to establish a cybertesting and mitigation program to identify vulnerabilities of energy sector supply chain products to known threats;

to oversee third-party cybertesting; and

to develop procurement guidelines for energy sector supply chain components.

to enhance and periodically test—

to expand cooperation of the Department with the intelligence communities for energy sector-related threat collection and analysis;

to enhance the tools of the Department and ES-ISAC for monitoring the status of the energy sector;

to expand industry participation in ES-ISAC; and

to provide technical assistance to small electric utilities for purposes of assessing cybermaturity posture.

In general— The Secretary shall develop an advanced energy security program to secure energy networks, including electric, natural gas, and oil exploration, transmission, and delivery.

Security and resiliency objective— The objective of the program developed under subsection (a) is to increase the functional preservation of the electric grid operations or natural gas and oil operations in the face of natural and human-made threats and hazards, including electric magnetic pulse and geomagnetic disturbances.

Eligible activities— In carrying out the program developed under subsection (a), the Secretary may—

the report of the Department entitled “Roadmap to Achieve Energy Delivery Systems Cybersecurity” and dated 2011;

existing programs of the Department; and

any associated strategic framework that links together academic and National Laboratory researchers, electric utilities, manufacturers, and any other relevant private industry organizations.

In general— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, shall conduct a study to explore alternative management structures and funding mechanisms to expand industry membership and participation in ES-ISAC.

Report— The Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the results of the study conducted under subsection (a).