Chairman Weber, Chairman Loudermilk, members of the Energy and Oversight subcommittees, thank you for the opportunity to submit written comments about securing the electrical grid against solar storms and man-made electromagnetic pulses. I am Allen B. West, president and CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA). We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization dedicated to developing and promoting private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector. The NCPA is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Having recently moved to Texas, I am proud to report that the state of Texas is showing leadership on this issue by taking action to protect the Texas electrical grid from the damaging effects of a natural or man-made electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that could blackout the entire state for months, with catastrophic consequences. The Texas legislature is moving toward potential legislative solutions, and members of the Executive Branch have met with experts to determine the best course of action to protect the electrical grid in Texas.