NRECA joined with a coalition of trade associations representing every electric utility and the nuclear power industry to respond to Chairman John D. Rockefeller’s letter to Fortune 500 companies on cybersecurity legislation.

The coalition told Chairman Rockefeller that they are working together with the government to help protect the nation’s electric grid from cyber threats. Representatives from the electric utilities and nuclear power have met with White House National Security Staff, Sec. Steven Chu, and Sec. Janet Napolitano to develop a robust public-private collaboration and an ongoing dialogue on cybersecurity threats.

Electric utilities already have mandatory, enforceable cybersecurity standards under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has created similar standards for nuclear power plants. The coalition urged Chairman Rockefeller not to replace or supplant these standards in any new cybersecurity legislation. NRECA, and the other members of the coalition, look forward to working with Chairman Rockefeller on cybersecurity legislation that includes improvements to information sharing between industry and government.