[co-author: Nicole Hager]
On April 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) called for public comments on policies that the Administration should pursue to secure the U.S. electric grid from exploitation and attack by foreign adversaries. The DOE is seeking policy recommendations to assess threats and develop solutions, including whether to expand its authority to block certain utilities from obtaining electric equipment from adversary nations, such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Russian Federation. As part of its efforts, the DOE is considering requesting blocking authority to cover the electric distribution system and utilities that service critical infrastructure, including defense, communications, energy services, healthcare and public health, information technology, and transportation systems. Comments are due to the DOE by