Bill would guide federal cybersecurity aid to smaller electric utilities

The Secretary would provide cybersecurity help and award funding to eligible groups. Eligible groups include rural electric cooperatives, certain publicly owned utilities, nonprofit partnerships of at least six eligible groups, and investor-owned utilities that sell less than 4 million megawatt hours per year. Help and funding depend on available appropriations. The Secretary may provide awards through competitive or noncompetitive processes. The bill authorizes $250 million for fiscal years 2027 through 2031; this is permission to provide funding, not a guarantee that the money will be provided.

The Secretary would give priority for help and funding to certain eligible groups. Priority would go to groups with limited cybersecurity resources, groups that own assets critical to the bulk-power system, or groups that own or operate defense critical electric infrastructure. The Secretary determines which eligible groups meet the priority criteria. The priority applies when the Secretary provides technical assistance or awards funding under the program.

Governments would treat information shared under the program as voluntarily shared and exempt from certain public records laws. The exemption applies under federal, state, Tribal, and local public records and open-government laws. The protection covers information shared by or with the federal, state, Tribal, or local government under the program.