A bill to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act to assign certain functions to the Assistant Secretaries of Energy relating to energy emergencies and energy security, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1335, Transparency, Accountability, Permitting, and Production of American Resources Act S. 1521, Community and Hydropower Improvement Act H.R. 1588, The Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act Issues relating to transmission Issues relating to permit reform S. 934, A bill to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act to assign certain functions to the Assistant Secretaries of Energy relating to energy emergencies and energy security, and for other purposes H.R. 4167, the Protecting America's Distribution Transformer Supply Act Issues relating to the Red Rock Hydropower Project Issues relating to FERC

Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $20,000

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE

Discussed how the model of shared responsibility for cybersecurity and resilience, which assigns each critical infrastructure sector a Sector-Risk Management Agency (SRMA) to work closely with on a day-to-day basis (while broadly coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)) has and continues to be successful. Expressed support for the Department of Energy (DOE) as the electric sectors SMRA. Discussed how the electric sector has strong mandatory and enforceable cyber and physical security standards, including cyber incident reporting, in place, and why cybersecurity standards and mandates must be risk-based. Discussed physical security and cybersecurity collaboration with the federal government. Discussed the Cyber Incident Reporting Council report released by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency that outlines steps the federal government should take to streamline its incident reporting regulations. Expressed concerns with H.R. 1160, the Critical Electric Infrastructure Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Act (all provisions). Discussed draft legislation to impose cybersecurity baseline standards on distribution utilities (no bill number). Discussed efforts by DOE and other stakeholders on cybersecurity baselines for distribution utilities. Discussed proposed amendments to S. 2226, the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act - #312 - assessment of existing large power transformers; #249 - study on energy resilience and reliability posture of military departments; #706 - Federal Information and Security Modernization Act of 2023. Discussed S. 914, the Energy Threat Analysis Center Establishment Act of 2023, to establish an energy threat analysis center within the Department of Energy (all provisions). Discussed S. 934, a bill to amend the DOE Organization Act to assign certain functions to the Assistant Secretaries of Energy relating to energy emergencies and energy security, and for other purposes. Discussed potential problems with the implementation of the Rural and Municipal Utility Grant Program at DOE (Sec. 40124(d)(1)(A) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) regarding the provision of technical assistance. Discussed industry-wide distribution transformer shortage and equipment supply chain challenges. Also discussed the need for more domestic production of electrical equipment. Discussed efforts at DOE to address the distribution transformer supply chain crisis. Discussed concerns with the DOEs proposed energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers (EERE-2019-BT-STD-0018) and how they would worsen the distribution transformer supply chain crisis. Discussed distribution transformer standardization efforts. Discussed efforts to gather further data on distribution transformer shortage. Discussed draft legislation to raise energy efficiency standards for certain types of distribution transformers. Discussed draft legislation, the DOE Appliance and Equipment Standards Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Discussed H.R. 4167/S. 2036, the Protecting Americas Distribution Transformer Supply Chain Act, to prevent the Department of Energy from proposing or enacting new energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers for five years. Expressed concerns with the DOE Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program application requirements, particularly for smaller utilities with limited resources. Provided feedback on how DOE should make the process simpler, more transparent, and provide assistance and support for small and/or rural public power applicants. Discussed public power utilities experiences with applying for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) grants, including the GRIP program. Discussion of concerns with domestic content requirements in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. Law 117-58) and how they make it too difficult for public power utilities to access the grants. Discussed, S. 1521, the Community and Hydropower Improvement Act, and provisions giving tribes mandatory conditioning authority. Discussed the importance of improving the hydropower licensing and relicensing process (no bill). Discussed support for H.R. 4045, the Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act. Discussed support for S. 2994, the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity and River Restoration Act of 2023 (all provisions). Discussed draft legislation, the Grid Reliability and Integrated Data Act (all provisions), which could require new and mandatory data collection from utilities, especially smaller utilities. Discussed draft legislation, the BIG WIRES Act, to give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the authority to require the expansion of transmission facilities for reliability and establish thresholds for interregional transfer capability (all provisions). Discussed opposition to efforts to reform permitting, siting, and cost allocation processes for electric transmission that significantly expand federal authority or change the beneficiary pays principle (no bill). Discussed support for permitting reform to help expedite the construction of energy infrastructure (no bill), including changes to the National Environmental Policy Act and changes to the Federal Power Act to expedite the construction of transmission while not saddling public power utilities with transmission costs for which they receive no benefit. Discussed support for provisions in H.R. 1577, the BUILDER Act of 2023, to reform the National Environmental Policy Act, that were also included in H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act (Pub. L. No. 118-5).

Client expense: $250,000 · Firm income: Not reported

Government targets: Energy, Dept of, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Homeland Security, Dept of (DHS), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), SENATE, White House Office

H.R. 1160, Critical Electric Infrastructure Cybersecurity Incident Reporting Act H.R. 1335, Transparency, Accountability, Permitting, and Production of American Resources Act S. 1521, Community and Hydropower Improvement Act H.R. 1588, The Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act Issues relating to transmission Issues relating to permit reform S. 934, A bill to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act to assign certain functions to the Assistant Secretaries of Energy relating to energy emergencies and energy security, and for other purposes H.R. 4167, the Protecting America's Distribution Transformer Supply Act Issues relating to the Red Rock Hydropower Project

Client expense: Not reported · Firm income: $20,000

Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE