Sec. 5342. Critical infrastructure research and construction
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The Secretary of Energy shall carry out a program of research, development, and demonstration of technologies and tools to help ensure the resilience and security of critical infrastructure. In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall leverage expertise and resources of and coordinate with— relevant programs and activities across the Department of Energy; and other relevant Federal agencies. In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary, in consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies, shall establish and operate an Energy Sector Critical Infrastructure Test Facility (referred to in this section as the Test Facility ) that allows for scalable physical and cyber performance testing to be conducted on industry-scale energy sector critical infrastructure systems.
This facility shall include a focus on— cybersecurity test beds; and electric grid test beds. The Secretary shall select the Test Facility under this section on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis. The Secretary shall consider applications from National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, multi-institutional collaborations, and other appropriate entities. The Test Facility established under this section shall receive support for a period of not more than 5 years, subject to the availability of appropriations.
Upon the expiration of any period of support of the Test Facility, the Secretary may renew support for the Test Facility, on a merit-reviewed basis, for a period of not more than 5 years. Consistent with the existing authorities of the Department, the Secretary may terminate the Test Facility for cause during the performance period. The term critical infrastructure means infrastructure that the Secretary determines to be vital to socioeconomic activities such that, if destroyed or damaged, such destruction or damage could cause substantial disruption to such socioeconomic activities.
The Secretary shall establish a research, development, and demonstration program to improve the energy resilience of critical infrastructure, including through the use of microgrids, during extreme weather events including extreme heat and wildfires. This program shall focus on developing technologies that— improve the energy resilience and meet the power needs of critical infrastructure, including through the use of microgrids, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and on-site storage; improve the energy efficiency of critical infrastructure; decrease the size and cost of on-site backup generators for critical infrastructure; provide on-site back-up power with renewable and low-carbon liquid fuels; and ensure the safe power up and power down of critical infrastructure when necessary, as well as the transfer to backup sources of power for uninterrupted electricity supply, including the use of microgrids.