Cyber threat bill clears Senate panel

On August 5, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved legislation that gives the Energy secretary power to issue emergency orders for imminent cybersecurity threats to the electric grid.

The committee was initially considering a similar measure that passed the House in June. Sponsored by Global Warming Chairman Edward Markey (D-MA), that bill grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission -- not the Energy secretary -- the authority to issue emergency orders to protect the power grid if the president declares an imminent cybersecurity threat. The Senate's measure gives authority to FERC for risks that are not as imminent. The point behind designating power to a single person rather than an agency like FERC is to help ensure a more rapid response. The measure approved Aug 5 is actually the cybersecurity title from a sweeping energy bill the Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved last year. The panel swapped the House language for the Senate's language with hopes it would have a better chance of passing the upper chamber.