If you have turned on the news or picked up a paper lately, you have probably seen reports that foreign enemies are increasingly launching cyber-attacks on America's critical infrastructure, including energy facilities. To address these threats, electric grid operators must comply with mandatory standards overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that protect against cyber and other attacks that threaten the reliability of our electric service.  

Natural gas pipelines are not subject to similar standards. But given the increasing threats we face, the time has come to establish them for natural gas pipelines.  

Abundant and affordable natural gas has facilitated a major shift in the United States' electric generation mix. The emergence of natural gas as a significant part of the fuel mix has greatly raised the stakes for pipeline cyber security.

Although FERC has the authority to issue certificates for new interstate gas pipelines and set their rates, the Commission does not have responsibility for pipeline security. That charge falls to the Transportation Security Administration, the same agency that is responsible for overseeing the security of 851 million aviation passengers per year, 138,000 miles of railroad track, and 4 million miles of highway.