Statement from Frank Libutti

DHS undersecretary of the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate

Even before the blackout of August 2003, but especially since, the energy sector has demonstrated a strong commitment to coordination, cooperation and security. We [at DHS] have seen significant awareness within the energy sector of the security challenge facing us all, and we have seen a resulting increase in the willingness to invest in added security measures—but as long as the threat continues to be real and evolving, there will be a need for additional progress.

The U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force set up by President Bush and Prime Minister Chrétien, which included Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, created a Security Working Group that focused on both physical and cybercomponents of security in the industry, and its conclusions have been integrated into the Department of Homeland Security's extensive work with the Information Sharing and Analysis Centers in the energy and electricity sectors. The North American Electric Reliability Council was already a creative force in the industry prior to 9/11, and the Council is a valuable partner to DHS now; and the American Petroleum Institute has provided excellent leadership in setting security standards for the industry.

Each industry has unique characteristics and requires a tailored security response. In the airline industry, for example, the federal government got involved in the security surrounding customer access to a service following a terrorist attack. In the energy sector, significant capital investment in fixed locations means increased security is an essential business expense that makes sound business sense. But in addition to inside-the-fence security that is a requirement of good corporate citizenship, effective homeland security requires a focus on hometown security in every community.

The Department of Homeland Security works closely with state and local leadership and local law enforcement to encourage those parties' support of the owners and operators of privately held critical infrastructure in this country. Increasingly effective security measures are an issue of corporate responsibility that also impacts public safety in each community. That is why the Department of Homeland Security provides ongoing resources to state and local officials and law enforcement according to each state's strategic plan for infrastructure protection, to support the public planning, equipment, training and technology necessary for increased security. These resources include funding streams for DHS programs such as the High-Threat and Urban Areas Security Initiative, the State Homeland Security Program, the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program and the Citizen Corps Program.

We are also working with industry leadership and individual owners and operators to provide tools to make added investments in security as productive as possible. Within the energy sector, this includes DHS's development of reports on common vulnerabilities of the energy infrastructure, potential indicators of terrorist activities, and guidelines for community-based buffer zone plans. Each of these tools is shared with the private sector through the energy and electricity sector Information Sharing and Analysis Centers, as well as state and local homeland security advisers.