AUSTIN -- Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst today urged state senators to develop a blueprint to increase security and reliability for the state power grid and protect Texas energy resources from terror attacks.
Although he said there is currently no credible terror threat against the state, lawmakers can work to improve safeguards for the power grid, pipelines and energy facilities around the state.
Dewhurst said he is concerned about the possibility of a terror strike within the United States before the Nov. 2 elections.
"While we will never know that we're 100 percent secure, we must ensure that we've taken every reasonable security precaution," he said.
A Republican, Dewhurst has directed the Senate Business and Commerce Committee and the Infrastructure Development and Security Committee to review security plans in place for Texas' electric grid to identify weaknesses.
Saturday is the anniversary of the 2003 blackout in the Northeast that left tens of millions without power.
Texas is unique in that about 85 percent of the state is served by a self-contained grid that relies on power generated within the state.
State officials say the Texas grid is better equipped to prevent the same sort of cascading blackout that rolled across part of the Northeast to the Great Lakes and into Canada last year.
Paul Hudson, chairman of the Public Utility Commission, said the Texas grid is designed to absorb outages at various points, allowing officials to make corrections and prevent a similar event.
"While no electric grid is immune to interruption, Texas is fortunate to have a reliable system that has served our state for well for more than 100 years," said John Fainter, president of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas.
Beyond the power grid, Dewhurst said Texas must protect important fuel refineries and 150,000 miles of pipeline.
"We must remain vigilant, because destroy these refineries, and life in America grinds to a halt," Dewhurst said.
He said Texas has particular homeland security challenges, noting its 1,200 miles of international border, large cities and 14 seaports.
Dewhurst said he has also asked lawmakers to review the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, the quasi-public agency that manages the state power grid.
Dewhurst said public confidence in ERCOT has suffered as investigators are look into allegations of contract irregularities as hiring for jobs in secure facilities without background checks.
The staff of the Sunset Advisory Commission, which periodically reviews state agencies, has recommended applying the Open Meetings Act to ERCOT and giving the PUC more authority over some of its functions.
"At the end of the day, we must ensure that people of Texas have reliable, secure power," he said. "And we must ensure that the people who are controlling the flow of electricity will objectively and honestly perform this task."
Dewhurst said he is concerned about the possibility of a terror strike within the United States before the Nov. 2 elections.
"While we will never know that we're 100 percent secure, we must ensure that we've taken every reasonable security precaution," he said.
A Republican, Dewhurst has directed the Senate Business and Commerce Committee and the Infrastructure Development and Security Committee to review security plans in place for Texas' electric grid to identify weaknesses.
Saturday is the anniversary of the 2003 blackout in the Northeast that left tens of millions without power.
Texas is unique in that about 85 percent of the state is served by a self-contained grid that relies on power generated within the state.
State officials say the Texas grid is better equipped to prevent the same sort of cascading blackout that rolled across part of the Northeast to the Great Lakes and into Canada last year.
Paul Hudson, chairman of the Public Utility Commission, said the Texas grid is designed to absorb outages at various points, allowing officials to make corrections and prevent a similar event.
"While no electric grid is immune to interruption, Texas is fortunate to have a reliable system that has served our state for well for more than 100 years," said John Fainter, president of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas.
Beyond the power grid, Dewhurst said Texas must protect important fuel refineries and 150,000 miles of pipeline.
"We must remain vigilant, because destroy these refineries, and life in America grinds to a halt," Dewhurst said.
He said Texas has particular homeland security challenges, noting its 1,200 miles of international border, large cities and 14 seaports.
Dewhurst said he has also asked lawmakers to review the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, the quasi-public agency that manages the state power grid.
Dewhurst said public confidence in ERCOT has suffered as investigators are look into allegations of contract irregularities as hiring for jobs in secure facilities without background checks.
The staff of the Sunset Advisory Commission, which periodically reviews state agencies, has recommended applying the Open Meetings Act to ERCOT and giving the PUC more authority over some of its functions.
"At the end of the day, we must ensure that people of Texas have reliable, secure power," he said. "And we must ensure that the people who are controlling the flow of electricity will objectively and honestly perform this task."
Dewhurst said he is concerned about the possibility of a terror strike within the United States before the Nov. 2 elections.
"While we will never know that we're 100 percent secure, we must ensure that we've taken every reasonable security precaution," he said.
A Republican, Dewhurst has directed the Senate Business and Commerce Committee and the Infrastructure Development and Security Committee to review security plans in place for Texas' electric grid to identify weaknesses.
Saturday is the anniversary of the 2003 blackout in the Northeast that left tens of millions without power.
Texas is unique in that about 85 percent of the state is served by a self-contained grid that relies on power generated within the state.
State officials say the Texas grid is better equipped to prevent the same sort of cascading blackout that rolled across part of the Northeast to the Great Lakes and into Canada last year.
Paul Hudson, chairman of the Public Utility Commission, said the Texas grid is designed to absorb outages at various points, allowing officials to make corrections and prevent a similar event.
"While no electric grid is immune to interruption, Texas is fortunate to have a reliable system that has served our state for well for more than 100 years," said John Fainter, president of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas.
Beyond the power grid, Dewhurst said Texas must protect important fuel refineries and 150,000 miles of pipeline.
"We must remain vigilant, because destroy these refineries, and life in America grinds to a halt," Dewhurst said.
He said Texas has particular homeland security challenges, noting its 1,200 miles of international border, large cities and 14 seaports.
Dewhurst said he has also asked lawmakers to review the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, the quasi-public agency that manages the state power grid.
Dewhurst said public confidence in ERCOT has suffered as investigators are look into allegations of contract irregularities as hiring for jobs in secure facilities without background checks.
The staff of the Sunset Advisory Commission, which periodically reviews state agencies, has recommended applying the Open Meetings Act to ERCOT and giving the PUC more authority over some of its functions.
"At the end of the day, we must ensure that people of Texas have reliable, secure power," he said. "And we must ensure that the people who are controlling the flow of electricity will objectively and honestly perform this task."
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