Rep. Bob Latta

R

Ohio – District 5
representative

Leadership

Chairman Energy

119th Congress

News & Announcements

Dec 3, 2025
Energy

Subcommittee on Energy Holds Hearing on the Security of our Energy Infrastructure, Including the Electric Grid

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a hearing titled Securing America’s Energy Infrastructure: Addressing Cyber and Physical Threats to the Grid . “Addressing cyber and physical threats represents another challenge to the reliable delivery of energy and power. Incapacitating the grid with cyber or physical attacks will have widespread, devastating impacts, which makes security particularly vital to our nation's security, economy, our health, and welfare,” said Chairman Latta. “Addressing these threats is difficult. The avenues for malicious attack only increase with increased digitization, and the growing linkages of gas pipelines, new generating resources, and expanded transmission.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from yesterday’s hearing: Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12): “Two weeks ago, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission released their 2025 report to Congress. In this report, the commission stated that the extensive use of Chinese components in the U.S. grid creates risks for cyber espionage and sabotage. As our nation looks to increase grid resiliency and reliability in the face of historic electricity demand growth, Congress and all relevant energy stakeholders must work to reduce our reliance on foreign adversaries, such as China, to meet our energy needs.” Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11): “Mr. Ball, in your testimony, you indicated that the PRC campaigns, like Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon, represent the most persistent and adaptive threats targeting our infrastructure. We know that the Chinese Communist Party is actively seeking to do damage and gather intelligence. But can you describe, at an operational level, what utilities are doing differently today than has been done before to detect and to stop these campaigns, and then what gaps still exist that we need to be worried about?” Mr. Ball: “ I think the best way to describe that is that we see an industry that is evolving in its capabilities, and it’s based on awareness. We have seen a significant awakening, and I’m not saying it’s enough, but we have seen a significant awakening to the threat within our industry. And, you know, when it boils down to it, despite the sophisticated capabilities that threat actors like the PRC have, a lot of the things that make us resilient still boil down to basic practices and making yourself and our utilities more resilient. We need to continue to bolster that capability for our industry, whether it’s large ISOs or down to the municipals and cooperatives. I think you’re hearing even today how this industry is awake to that. And I think we need to continue to empower them to be able to build a more resilient system.” Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23): “Mr. Chairman, our witnesses know better than anyone how frequently adversaries test our defenses and target the operators who keep power flowing. As we consider these vulnerabilities, we must also recognize the broader point: cyber and physical threats don’t just expose weaknesses in the electrical system — they highlight the danger of relying on a single source of energy. When states or cities adopt policies that eliminate natural gas or restrict access to other fuels, they don’t just limit consumer choice — they reduce resiliency. Electricity is essential, but it only works when the grid is functioning. If a cyberattack or a physical incident takes the grid offline, everything that depends on electricity stops. Natural gas and propane, however, can be delivered directly to the home or facility and continue to operate independently of the electrical grid. They provide heat, hot water, cooking capabilities, and even fuel for backup generators during an outage. These fuels don’t replace electricity, but they give families, hospitals, and emergency services a critical lifeline when the grid is down. Removing these options leaves communities with only one energy source to rely on — and one point of failure.”   ###

Dec 2, 2025
Press Release

Chairman Latta Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Energy Hearing on Securing America’s Energy Infrastructure

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled Securing America’s Energy Infrastructure: Addressing Cyber and Physical Threats to the Grid. Subcommittee Chairman Latta’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Good morning and welcome to today’s hearing. We will examine how the electric industry is addressing cyber and physical threats to the electric grid—a key component of our nation’s critical energy infrastructure. “We will look at the challenges to securing this infrastructure at a time of tremendous growth in power demand. “This hearing will inform the Subcommittee on current initiatives and practices to secure our nation’s critical electric infrastructure from the various malicious threats to the delivery of power. “This year we have frequently heard about the challenges to the reliable delivery of energy and power. “Grid operators have testified about the massive premature loss of dispatchable baseload power in our electric grid without adequate replacement. This has resulted in increased blackout risks in certain regions of the nation during times of peak demand. “Addressing cyber and physical threats represents another challenge to the reliable delivery of energy and power. Incapacitating the grid with cyber or physical attacks will have widespread, devastating impacts, which makes security particularly vital to our nation’s security, economy, our health, and welfare. “Addressing these threats is difficult. The avenues for malicious attack only increase with increased digitization, and the growing linkages of gas pipelines, new generating resources, and expanded transmission. These linkages have been rapidly increasing as the nation works to meet growing power demand, particularly from AI and manufacturing. “As the public security assessments note, the nation faces an evolving landscape of threats – from nation states to criminal and ideologically motivated cyber attackers. “Russia has long been a persistent threat to our energy systems. Yet China has become particularly worrisome. “Even as we race with China on AI, the U.S. intelligence community reports in its public assessments that China remains the most active and persistent threat to American critical infrastructure networks. China’s proxies have pre-positioned attack capabilities in American infrastructure, to be used during a major crisis or conflict. “More local risks relating to physical attacks also threaten communities and other important infrastructure. “Just two years ago, this Subcommittee held a field hearing in North Carolina to examine the threats surrounding an attack on electric substations. The attack in question left 30,000 people without power and exposed how targeted physical attacks can impact people and industry, even the military, in critical regions.   “Addressing cyber and physical threats is made more complicated by individual utilities’ particular capabilities, resources, and access to threat intelligence and other information. “Our witnesses this morning will help us understand how the industry works to overcome these challenges. “We’ll hear testimony from grid executives representing both investor-owned utilities and the nonprofit Cooperatives—which together cover the bulk of American electric infrastructure. “We’ll also hear from the head of the Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center, or E-ISAC. This operation, run by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, provides important information-sharing services to assist industry with critical infrastructure threats. “Given that Congress has charged NERC with assuring reliability of the electric system, a perspective on what is necessary to coordinate grid security to effectively address growing vulnerabilities will be important. “We’ll hear from a grid security expert at Carnegie Mellon who has been active on the National Security Council. “And, finally, we’ll hear from the Associate Laboratory Director for national security at Idaho National Laboratory. He will provide insights into threats and into how the U.S. government is working to help industry be more informed about the most consequential risks, and to better plan and protect our grid. “Energy and Commerce has led on enactment of several laws over the past decade to ensure appropriate national attention to cyber and physical risks in our nation’s critical energy infrastructure. “This work ranged from clarifying government authorities in the Federal Power Act to authorizing several technical assistance and information sharing programs to assist utilities of all sizes. “The hearing today should inform us as we seek to update and reauthorize various provisions that aim to make the nation more secure.” ###

Nov 25, 2025
Energy

Chairmen Guthrie and Latta Announce Hearing on the Security of our Energy Infrastructure, including the Electric Grid

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, announced a hearing titled Securing America’s Energy Infrastructure: Addressing Cyber and Physical Threats to the Grid . “Ensuring that our energy infrastructure, including the electric grid, can provide reliable power is one of our Committee’s top priorities,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “Protecting against threats of malicious cyber or physical attacks to our grid infrastructure is essential for national security, economic security, and the safety of tens of millions of Americans. This hearing will offer our members the chance to hear from experts who understand the realities of grid security threats and who can inform Congress about what is necessary to secure the electric grid.” Subcommittee on Energy hearing titled Securing America’s Energy Infrastructure: Addressing Cyber and Physical Threats to the Grid.   WHAT: Subcommittee on Energy hearing to discuss the cyber and physical security of our electric grid.  DATE: Tuesday, December 2, 2025   TIME: 10:30 AM ET LOCATION: 2141 Rayburn House Office Building This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/ . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Calvin Huggins at Calvin.Huggins1@mail.house.gov . If you have an y press-related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov . ###

Letters

Jan 6, 2025
Press Release

Chairman Guthrie and Chairman Latta Question Energy Department’s Involvement in Biden-Harris Offshore Drilling Ban

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Yesterday, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, along with Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, penned a letter to Secretary Jennifer Granholm questioning the Department of Energy’s involvement in the Biden-Harris Administration’s decision to prevent new offshore oil and gas production, leading to higher prices for consumers and harming U.S. energy security. KEY LETTER EXCERPT: “Closing off swaths of U.S. offshore areas to energy production, as the Biden-Harris Administration reportedly intends to do, will lead to higher energy prices for American families, the loss of American jobs, and greatly diminish our country’s energy security. As the Secretary of Energy, you have an obligation to weigh in on this matter and insist on a full review of the energy security and economic impacts before any decisions are finalized. “The United States stands at an energy crossroads, facing mounting global security threats and soaring demand for power. Instead of leading the world in energy production, we’ve allowed misguided “green” policies to hamstring our potential. It’s time to unleash American energy dominance again—the federal government must become an ally, not an obstacle, to our nation’s energy security. We look forward to your prompt response to this request, no later than January 10, 2025.” Read the story  here . BACKGROUND: This morning, the Biden Administration announced that more than 625 million square miles of coastline would be off-limits for energy production. Republican Members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have continuously called on the Biden-Harris Administration to end its attack on American energy production before leaving office on January 20th. The letter requests an explanation of the DOE’s involvement in the decision and whether the White House or the Department of Interior consulted with the DOE about the plans to close off access to offshore resources. Any decision to shut down access to significant American energy resources impacts U.S. energy policy and should be reviewed by the DOE. The Biden Administration’s energy policies have continued to create major harm to America’s energy production and workforce. A unilateral ban on energy production in large swaths of the U.S. coastline will have lasting impacts on American energy production and security.

Oct 7, 2024
Letter

Chair Rodgers Leads House GOP in Demanding Answers Over FCC Fast-Tracking Democrat Mega-Donor’s Media Takeover Weeks Before Election

Soros-linked fund to acquire more than 200 local radio stations weeks before election Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) led 40 of her Republican colleagues in demanding answers from the Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding her recent decision to fast-track a media deal allowing the Fund for Policy Reform, a group aligned with Democratic mega-donor George Soros, to buy over 200 radio stations just weeks before the 2024 election. With a party line vote of 3-2, the decision at the Commission level by the Democratic members of the FCC to temporarily waive the required national security review and allow excessive foreign ownership of American radio stations is deeply disturbing. KEY LETTER EXCERPT: “It is highly concerning that the FCC did not follow regular order for a transaction of this magnitude. Licensees and investors need certainty that the FCC will follow its rules and procedures when approving transactions so that the broadcast industry can have the resources it needs to continue serving the public.”  BACKGROUND: Audacy, Inc., a radio broadcasting group, which owns more than 200 radio-station licenses, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.  Audacy’s filings revealed that a George Soros-backed group known as the Fund for Policy Reform had acquired at least 40 percent of Audacy’s debt.   Audacy estimated that, upon emerging from bankruptcy, 25 percent or more of its stock would be indirectly foreign owned, which triggers FCC review.   This review process requires national security agencies to review the transaction and offer any policy or national security concerns.   On September 30, 2024, the FCC released an Order granting a temporary waiver of this review process, delaying a national security review until after the bankruptcy process is complete and allowing foreign control of a significant number of radio stations across the entire United States, weeks before a national election. CLICK HERE to read Breitbart's exclusive coverage. CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

Jul 25, 2024
Press Release

E&C Republicans Open Inquiry into NTIA’s Online Domain Name Registry Contracts Ahead of Renewal

Washington, D.C. — In a new letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) requested information about the agency’s internet domain name registry agreement with Verisign, Inc. (Verisign). BACKGROUND :  The NTIA represents the United States government on the Governmental Advisory Committee of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the multi-stakeholder, not-for-profit entity that was founded in 1998 to coordinate the Internet domain name system, among other Internet management-related activities. Since 2001, Verisign has operated the .com and .net domain name registries.   Verisign manages the .com registry under two agreements—a .com Registry Agreement between ICANN and Verisign and a Cooperative Agreement between the NTIA and Verisign.  Both of these agreements are in place through November 30, 2024.  As the expiration dates of these agreements approach, some have suggested that the NTIA should reassess certain aspects of both agreements.   Under the Cooperative Agreement’s terms, it will automatically renew on November 30, 2024, unless Verisign provides written notice of non-renewal within 120 days of its expiration.   The Department of Justice has previously recommended ICANN hold a competitive bidding process for renewals of registry agreements.   The current agreement, as amended, has allowed Verisign, with ICANN’s agreement, in each of the last four years of every six-year contract period, to increase the maximum price Verisign charges for yearly registration or renewal of a .com name by up to seven percent over the maximum price it charged in the previous year.   Verisign has since instituted a price increase of the maximum amount in every year it was allowed to do so.   KEY LETTER EXCERPT :  “With both a role in advising ICANN and as a party to the Cooperative Agreement, the NTIA bears responsibility for supporting a domain name system that enables the growth of online commerce. Both individual consumers and businesses depend on responsible management of the .com system. Monopolistic elements and excessive domain name price increases stifle the ability of potential .com registrants to conduct business online.  “As such, we seek more information about the NTIA’s process in considering the renewal of both the Registry Agreement and the Cooperative Agreement.”  CLICK HERE to read the letter.