WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Catherine Cortez Masto, John Curtis, John Hoeven, and Dave McCormick introduced the bipartisan Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act to reauthorize a critical federal grant program and help rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities strengthen their cybersecurity defenses against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
“America needs clean, reliable, affordable, and secure energy,” said Hickenlooper. “As cybersecurity threats continue to rise, our bill enables rural cooperatives and utilities to defend against sophisticated attacks, protect consumers, and keep energy affordable.”
“I was proud to help establish this grant program in the bipartisan infrastructure law to help rural utilities protect themselves from cybersecurity threats,” said Cortez Masto. “This program has proven incredibly successful and there is bipartisan support to reauthorize it. As new cyber threats continue to emerge, I’ll keep working to ensure our rural communities have what they need to adapt.”
“Our rural and municipal utilities are increasingly on the front lines of protecting the electric grid from cyber threats,” said Curtis. “This bipartisan bill makes a smart investment in safeguarding critical infrastructure, supporting local utilities, and keeping the lights on for communities across America.”
“Malicious actors and foreign adversaries are targeting America’s infrastructure, and that is why we introduced legislation to support electric cooperatives and utility providers as they work to harden critical energy infrastructure against cyberattacks. Doing so will help ensure the resilience of the electrical grid, supporting both our economic and national security while ensuring important services remain available in an era of increasing cyber threats,” said Hoeven.
“America’s electric grid is a critical piece of our national security, and every utility—regardless of size or location—must have the resources to defend against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats,” said McCormick. “Rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities serve millions of Americans, including communities across Pennsylvania, but often operate with fewer cybersecurity resources than larger utilities. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure they have the support they need to protect our energy infrastructure and keep the lights on.”
The legislation reauthorizes the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity (RMUC) Grant and Technical Assistance Program at the Department of Energy. The RMUC provides rural electric cooperatives and publicly owned utilities with the resources, technical assistance, and support they need to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from cyberattacks.
Cyberattacks targeting America’s energy infrastructure have become more frequent and more sophisticated in recent years. Rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities often face unique resource constraints that make federal cybersecurity assistance especially valuable. The RMUC Grant Program helps eligible utilities improve cybersecurity preparedness through grants, technical assistance, and workforce development, helping strengthen the resilience of the nation’s electric grid.
Specifically, the bipartisan Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act would:
- Reauthorize the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity (RMUC) Grant and Technical Assistance Program through 2031.
- Continue providing grants and technical assistance to rural electric cooperatives and municipally-owned utilities to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities.
- Help eligible utilities prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from cyber threats.
- Support cybersecurity planning, workforce development, vulnerability assessments, and other activities that improve the resilience of the electric grid.
- Strengthen partnerships between the federal government and locally owned utilities to protect America’s critical energy infrastructure.
- Authorize $250 million over five years to support these efforts.
Full text of the bill available HERE.
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