Reps. Crow, Bacon, and Peters Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Harden Military Facilities Against Climate Change, Protect Electric Grid from Cyberattacks

WASHINGTON — Today, Representatives Jason Crow (D-CO), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Scott Peters (D-CA) introduced the Guaranteeing Resilient Installations for Defense (GRID) Act, bipartisan legislation that would protect and strengthen military bases from the effects of climate change and energy dependency. 

The GRID Act would allow the Secretary of Energy to proactively improve the resilience of critical defense infrastructure and reduce the risk of disruption to the electrical grid. In recent years, extreme weather events brought on by climate change have resulted in billions of dollars spent on base repairs, such as $3.6 billion for Camp Lejeune following Hurricane Florence. This bill will provide military installations with essential support to better protect the critical electric infrastructure against threats posed by severe weather, terrorism, or cyberattacks.

“Climate change should never hinder military readiness or unnecessarily cost Coloradans millions,” said Congressman Crow. “The bipartisan GRID Act would get ahead of the threats of climate change by hardening military installations and electric grids before they’re impacted, saving Coloradans millions and supporting the efforts of our brave servicemembers at home and abroad.” 

“Military readiness includes energy security, which is also vital to our economy,” said Congressman Bacon. “This issue has long been a critical issue for me, and this legislation will improve the resiliency of our critical defense electrical infrastructure. With growing threats from the Chinese Communist Party and Russia, we need to make energy security a top priority.”

"The GRID Act would protect critical defense grid systems to ensure military operations can continue without disruptions,” said Congressman Peters. “A resilient and reliable electric grid isn’t just about keeping the lights on; it’s about safety for the American people and our warfighters."

The GRID Act builds on Crow's work addressing the impact of climate change on U.S. national security. Crow's bill, the Military Installation Resilience Assuredness (MIRA) Act was enacted into law through the FY20 National Defense Authorization Act and requires military installations to plan for climate change by identifying vulnerabilities and plans to address them. Last year, Crow established a pilot program on the use of sustainable aviation fuel with the Department of Defense as part of the FY23 NDAA. In 2019, Crow also launched the Sustainable Power Initiative to bring together military, economic, defense, energy, and environmental leaders to discuss how to improve energy efficiency and environmental resiliency at the Department of Defense, the largest consumer of energy in the world.