WASHINGTON – The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy has advanced the Energy Emergency Leadership Act, a bipartisan measure introduced by Tim Walberg, aimed at strengthening the federal government’s response to energy emergencies and cybersecurity threats.

The legislation would amend the Department of Energy Organization Act to require the Secretary of the United States Department of Energy to formally assign energy emergency and energy security responsibilities to an Assistant Secretary. Those duties would include oversight of critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, supply disruptions, and emergency planning.

Walberg said the bill responds to a growing number of physical and cyber threats targeting the nation’s energy systems.

“We have seen a growing surge in physical and cyber threats targeting our nation’s critical energy infrastructure, and our response must keep pace with these evolving risks,” Walberg said. “This bipartisan legislation elevates energy emergency preparedness and cybersecurity as core responsibilities within the Department of Energy.”

Supporters of the bill say the Department of Energy’s emergency functions have historically focused on oil supply shocks and have not kept pace with modern threats, particularly cyberattacks on the electric grid and other critical systems. Those responsibilities are also not clearly defined as core functions within the department, which can complicate leadership, coordination, and response efforts.

The Energy Emergency Leadership Act would seek to address those gaps by formalizing leadership and planning structures, with the goal of improving the resilience of the nation’s electrical grid and strengthening protections for critical energy infrastructure.