H.R. 7305, the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026, would extend and expand the Department of Energy’s Energy Sector Operational Support for Cyberresilience Program. The bill updates section 40125(c) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act so DOE can continue helping the energy sector analyze cyber threats, share threat information, and improve resilience through 2031 instead of 2022 through 2026. It also authorizes the Secretary of Energy to carry out the program through an Energy Threat Analysis Center at one or more physical locations and to use contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other transactions with public and private partners.
What This Bill Does
- Extends the DOE energy cyber program from 2022-2026 to 2027-2031.
- Lets the Secretary of Energy use an Energy Threat Analysis Center at one or more physical locations.
- Authorizes contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other transactions with public and private partners.
- Protects shared information by exempting it from public disclosure under federal, state, tribal, and local laws.
- States that help provided under the program is at the Secretary's sole and unreviewable discretion.
Who This Bill Affects
For most Americans, this bill would not change day-to-day eligibility or benefits directly, but it could improve the security and resilience of the energy systems they depend on. If the DOE program works as intended, utilities and other energy operators would have better tools to share threat intelligence, coordinate responses, and reduce the chance that a cyber incident disrupts power, fuel, or related services. The bill also increases information-sharing protections, which may make companies more willing to participate, but it also means some details exchanged through the program would be shielded from public disclosure.
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April 2, 2026As ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on March 5, 2026
Full CBO report →Who Supports & Opposes This
- Electric utilities and grid operators They are likely to support the bill because it extends a federal program focused on threat analysis, operational support, and resilience. The bill’s information-sharing and rapid-collaboration provisions could help them identify cyber risks earlier and reduce the chance of service disruptions.
- Federal and state cybersecurity officials They may argue that energy infrastructure faces evolving threats from sophisticated adversaries and needs a standing hub for classified and unclassified threat analysis. The proposed Energy Threat Analysis Center and transaction authority could speed coordination with industry partners.
- Industrial and critical infrastructure security firms These stakeholders may favor the bill because it signals continued federal demand for cyber-resilience services and structured public-private partnerships. The authorization to use contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements creates more pathways for operational collaboration.
- Open-government and transparency advocates They may object to the bill’s broad disclosure exemption, which treats shared information as voluntarily shared and exempt from public records laws. That could limit public oversight of how energy security information is handled and what risks are being addressed.
- Privacy and civil liberties groups They may be concerned that the program could expand the flow of sensitive information between government and private entities with limited external review. The bill also says assistance is at the Secretary’s sole and unreviewable discretion, which may raise accountability concerns.
- Smaller energy companies with limited compliance capacity They may worry that participation in a more sophisticated federal cyber program will require staff time, technical integration, and procedural adjustments they struggle to afford. Even if the program offers support, smaller operators may find the operational demands harder to meet than large utilities do.
Key Implications
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““to strengthen the collective defense, response, and resilience of the United States energy sector””
This is the core purpose clause. It means the bill is not creating a consumer benefit program; it is building a federal support structure for energy-sector cyber defense and resilience.
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““an Energy Threat Analysis Center, which may be established at one or more physical locations””
DOE could run the program through one or more dedicated centers rather than only through existing offices. That makes the program more concrete and potentially more operationally focused.
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““deemed voluntarily shared information and exempt from disclosure””
Information moved through the program would be shielded from public records disclosure. That may improve candid threat reporting, but it reduces outside visibility into what is being shared and how it is used.
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““at the sole and unreviewable discretion of the Secretary””
The bill gives DOE broad control over who receives assistance or information. That can speed decisions, but it also means there is no statutory entitlement for private or government entities to demand help.
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““2027 through 2031””
The bill extends the program’s authorization window by five years. That suggests Congress wants the energy cyber support structure to remain active beyond the current authorization period.
Official Source & Bill Facts
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- Bill
- HR 7305
- Congress
- 119th Congress
- Official title
- Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026
- Policy area
- Environment & Energy
- Latest action
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. (June 29, 2026)
- Last updated
- June 30, 2026
Latest Status
June 29, 2026
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
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Ask AI about this billData sourced from api.congress.gov.