S. 4166 — SECURE Grid Act

This section revises State energy security plan requirements under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (i.e., plans for which states may receive federal financial assistance to assess energy infrastructure vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience against physical and cyber threats) by (1) defining "local distribution system" as energy infrastructure owned and operated by an electric utility at a voltage of 100 kilovolts or less; (2) requiring plans to address specific physical threats—including weather-related threats and vulnerabilities, physical attacks on local distribution systems and the bulk-power system, and supply chain risks for equipment used in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution—and cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities of local distribution systems that may impact the bulk-power system; (3) requiring risk mitigation approaches to include methods for responding to, mitigating, and recovering from such hazards; (4) expanding required state consultations and coordination to include suppliers of equipment for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution; (5) providing that states are eligible for assistance upon governor submission of a plan without required Secretary approval; and (6) establishing a sunset date of September 30, 2031. (Thus, plans must now explicitly prioritize local distribution system security with detailed hazard assessments and supplier involvement.)

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, not later than September 30, 2030, a report evaluating the efficacy of State energy security plans under section 366 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6326). (As background, those plans, developed using federal financial assistance under part D of title III of that Act (42 U.S.C. 6321 et seq.), assess risks to State energy infrastructure from physical and cybersecurity threats and propose methods to secure infrastructure, mitigate supply disruptions, and enhance resilience.) The report includes (1) an evaluation of improvements in States' abilities to identify, assess, and mitigate risks to energy infrastructure and supply chains and to plan for, respond to, and recover from energy supply disruptions; (2) recommendations to improve those abilities and for actions by the Secretary of Energy to enhance coordination with States; (3) information on such federal financial assistance used for plan implementation; (4) information on State activities using that assistance; (5) an analysis of section 366 implementation (as amended by this Act); and (6) information on State use of assistance under section 366(f) (as amended), including plan revisions. This section requires the report in public form, with any information protected from disclosure under section 366(h) included in a non-public annex.