A delegation comprising members of the Energy & Environment Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference, led by Representative Lynn Smith (Georgia), chair of the committee, recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to engage in meetings with senior officials from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U. S. Department of the Interior (DOI).  

As the nation’s energy infrastructure becomes increasingly interconnected, cybersecurity concerns persist. Deputy Assistant Secretary Doug Little and Jennifer Silk, senior advisor to the secretary, provided an update on the DOE’s cybersecurity initiatives and the outcomes of GRIDEX IV, a biennial exercise designed to simulate a cyber/physical attack on electric and other critical infrastructures across the country.  Preston Cory, director of the EPA’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations, briefed delegates on the agency’s regulatory reform agenda, including the repeal of the Clean Power Plan and forthcoming revisions to the Clean Water Rule.  Delegates also received a briefing from Todd Wynn, director of the DOI’s Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, on the agency’s proposed expansion of the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, as well as the newly created Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council.  Through meetings and dialogue with these officials, delegates gained a deeper understanding of each agency’s policy priorities and shared their state’s perspective on pressing energy and environmental issues. 

Other delegation participants were Senator Ed Emery, Missouri, vice chair of SLC’s Energy & Environment Committee; Representative William E. “Bill” Sandifer III, South Carolina, immediate past chair of SLC’s Energy & Environment Committee; Senator Robin Webb, Kentucky; and Senator Dave Sypolt, West Virginia.