H.R. 2928 would direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a voluntary program to test the cybersecurity of products and technologies intended for use in the nation’s bulk power system. The bulk power system comprises the facilities and control systems necessary for operating an interconnected energy transmission network and the electric energy needed from generation facilities to maintain transmission system reliability.
DOE tests the cybersecurity of bulk power systems through its Cybersecurity Testing for Industrial Control Systems program. Because H.R. 2928 would codify the department’s current practices, implementing the bill would not affect the federal budget.