>>> WELCOME BACK.
IF YOU WANT AN EASY SUMMARY OF
WHERE THE WASHINGTON TALKS ON
INFRASTRUCTURE STAND, TRY THIS.
PRESIDENT BIDEN AND REPUBLICANS
CAN’T AGREE ON HOW MUCH TO
SPEND, ON WHERE THE MONEY SHOULD
COME FROM OR EVEN WHAT IS OR
ISN’T INFRASTRUCTURE.
OTHER THAN THAT, THINGS LOOK
GREAT.
PERHAPS MORE SIGNIFICANT, THE
RECENT SPADE OF CYBERATTACKS
CALLS INTO QUESTION THE SAFETY
OF OUR ENERGY GRID AND OUR
PIPELINES.
JOINING ME IS SOMEONE WHO HAS A
LOT ON HER PLATE, ENERGY
SECRETARY JENNIFER GRANHOLM.
WELCOME BACK TO "MEET THE
PRESS."
>> THANKS SO MUCH, CHUCK.
>> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR
RESPONSE AT THE ENERGY
DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN SINCE THE
COLONIAL PIPELINE ATTACK.
I THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF
THE PLAN TAKES PIPELINE GOES
DOWN.
YOU HAVE N BRIDGE WHICH PROVIDES
THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY GAS.
IF ONE OF THOSE PIPELINES WENT
DOWN IN THE NEXT -- THIS SUMMER,
ARE WE BETTER PREPARED TO HANDLE
THE CRISIS THAN WE WERE JUST A
MONTH AGO, OR DO WE HAVE A WAYS
TO GO?
>> HERE IS WHAT I WOULD SAY, IS
THAT THE TSA ACTUALLY JUST PUT
OUT A SERIES OF REGULATIONS
REQUIRING PIPELINES TO LET US
KNOW IF THEY HAVE BEEN THE
VICTIM, IN THE REALTIME -- JUST
WHAT CHRIS MATTHEWS WAS JUST
SAYING.
WHERE ARE THESE ATTACKS
HAPPENING, SO THAT WE KNOW AND
WE CAN COORDINATE WITH OUR
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO
DETERMINE, NOT JUST HOW TO
RESPOND IN THE LONG-TERM, BUT
HOW TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY.
SO TO THAT EXTENT, YES.
THE PRESIDENT HAS ISSUED THIS
EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT REALLY
FOCUSES ON WHAT THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DOING.
BUT AS YOU’VE NOTED, THESE ARE A
LOT OF PRIVATE SECTOR ENTITIES
THAT RUN THE GRID, THAT RUN THE
PIPELINES.
SO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE
AMERICAN JOBS PLAN IS SO
IMPORTANT AND SO CURIOUS, CHUCK,
WHY THE INVESTMENT THAT THE
PRESIDENT PROPOSED IN
TRANSMISSION GRIDS, WHICH WOULD
NOT JUST INCREASE CAPACITY AND
INCREASE RESILIENCE, BUT ALSO
ADDRESS CYBER, WHY THAT ISN’T A
PART OF WHAT THE REPUBLICANS’
COUNTERPROPOSAL WAS.
HOPEFULLY IT WILL B. IT’S A BIT
FRUSTRATING IT HASN’T BEEN.
>> WHAT KIND OF AUTHORITY DO YOU
HAVE RIGHT NOW -- YOU OVERSEE
THE SAFETY OF OUR NUCLEAR POWER
PLANTS, IN SOME CASES RUN BY
PRIVATE COMPANIES.
THERE’S A CERTAIN LEVEL OF
SECURITY THEY HAVE TO MEET TO
MEET FEDERAL REGULATION.
CAN YOU DEMAND CERTAIN STANDARDS
OF COLONIAL AND THESE OTHER
PIPELINE KPEENTS?
OR DO YOU NOT HAVE THAT
AUTHORITY AT THE ENERGY
DEPARTMENT?
>> RIGHT NOW ON PIPELINES, NO.
WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE
PRIVATE SECTOR ON THE
TRANSMISSION GRID.
THERE ARE BASIC STANDARDS, CYBER
STANDARDS THEY MAY ADHERE TO,
CYBER STANDARDS DEVELOPED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, AND WE
NEED THAT SAME SORT OF REGIME
WITH PIPELINES.
THAT DOES NOT EXIST AT THE
MOMENT.
THIS NOTION OF REQUIRING THEM TO
REPORT IS IMPORTANT.
THAT’S A FIRST STEP.
WE NEED TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP.
THEY NEED TO -- WE NEED TO WORK
TOGETHER.
IT’S NOT JUST CYBER ON GRIDS AND
PIPELINE.
IT’S CYBER FOR -- ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
IT IS A HUGE ISSUE, AND EVERYONE
NEEDS TO WAKE UP AND UP THEIR
GAME IN TERMS OF PROTECTING
THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF
TELLING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
IF THEY ARE A TARGET OF ATTACKS.
MANY OF THESE PRIVATE COMPANIES
DON’T WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE PAYING
RANSOMWARE, BUT THEY SHOULD BE
LETTING US KNOW SO WE CAN
PROTECT THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
>> DO YOU THINK THERE SHOULD BE
A LAW ON THE BOOKS THAT BANS THE
PAYMENT OF RANSOMS.
YOU CAN OUTLAW THE PAYMENT OF
RANSOMS.
ARE YOU READY TO GO THERE?
>> WELL, I MEAN, I WOULD.
I WILL SAY THAT, BUT I DON’T
KNOW WHETHER CONGRESS OR THE
PRESIDENT WOULD AT THAT POINT.
I DO THINK WE NEED TO SEND THIS
STRONG MESSAGE THAT PAYING A
RANSOM WEAR ONLY EXACERBATES AND
ACCELERATES THIS PROBLEM.
YOU ARE ENCOURAGING THE BAD
ACTORS WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
I WILL SAY, THE PRESIDENT -- TO
THE CONVERSATION YOU WERE JUST
HAVING, THE PRESIDENT IS REALLY
FOCUSED ON THE INTERNATIONAL
REGIME OF THIS AS WELL, WORKING
WITH OUR ALLIES.
NO COUNTRY WANTS TO BE THE
VICTIM OF MAJOR CYBERATTACKS,
ANY CYBER ATTACK.
ENERGY SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR,
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE
PRESIDENT IS WORKING ON A
360-DEGREE SOLUTION, SOLUTIONS.
THERE’S NOT JUST ONE SOLUTION.
>> YOU’VE BEEN TAPPED TO HELP
BUILD SUPPORT FOR THE
PRESIDENT’S INFRASTRUCTURE
PROPOSAL.
THAT TOOK YOU TO WEST VIRGINIA
THIS WEEK.
WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORDS WEST
VIRGINIA AND WASHINGTON, IT
MEANS JOE MANCHIN.
WHEN WE HEAR JOE MANCHIN SAY HE
STILL THEREINK THERE’S GOING TO
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
DO YOU THINK HIS DEFINITION IS
TEN REPUBLICAN SENATORS OR DO
YOU THINK IT’S SUSAN COLLINS AND
LISA MURKOWSKI?
>> I THINK HE REALLY BELIEVES
THERE ARE VOTES FOR
INFRASTRUCTURE FROM AT LEAST TEN
REPUBLICANS.
HE’S GOT SOME DATA ON THIS.
JUST IN MY WORLD, IN THE WORLD
OF ENERGY, IN 2020, IN DECEMBER,
THERE WAS OVERWHELMING
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR PIECES OF
ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE
PRESIDENT PUT INTO THE AMERICAN
JOBS PLAN, BUT HAS NOT BEEN PART
OF THE REPUBLICAN
COUNTERPROPOSAL.
FOR EXAMPLE, INVESTMENT IN THE
TRANSMISSION GRID OR IN NUCLEAR
ENERGY WHICH REPUBLICANS LONG
SUPPORTED AND ARE NOT IN THE
COUNTERPROPOSAL BUT WAS IN THE
PRESIDENT’S BILL.
TAPPING OF OIL AND GAS WELLS AND
COAL MINES WHICH COULD PUT A LOT
OF PEOPLE TO WORK.
REPUBLICANS HAVE SUPPORTED THAT.
THE PRESIDENT PUT IT IN HIS
BILL.
THEY DIDN’T COME BACK WITH A
COUNTER THAT INCLUDED THAT.
CHUCK, THE BIG THING -- JUST
COMING FROM WEST VIRGINIA.
IT’S A FOSSIL FUEL STATE.
THE WEEK BEFORE I WAS IN TEXAS,
ANOTHER FOSSIL FUEL STATE.
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS HAVE
ASKED FOR THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE
PIPELINES TO TAKE CARBON
POLLUTION OUT OF FOSSIL FUEL
PRODUCTION AND PUT IT IN THE
GROUND.
IT’S CALLED CARBON CAPTURE.
THE PRESIDENT PUT IT IN HIS
PLAN.
REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN CLAMORING
FOR IT.
IT WASN’T IN THEIR
COUNTERPROPOSAL.
IT’S JUST CURIOUS.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, HE’S GOT
REASON -- MEANING JOE MANCHIN
HAS REASON TO BELIEVE THERE’S
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
WE JUST NEED TO SEE IT IN THE
COUNTERPROPOSAL.
>> YOU BROUGHT UP CLIMATE.
I’M CURIOUS, WHEN IT COMES TO
GETTING THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY
TO PARTICIPATE IN HELPING TO
MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE, WE’VE
SEEN THE NETHERLANDS ESSENTIALLY
USE A COURT ORDER TO FORCE SHELL
TO DO THINGS.
WE’VE SEEN SHAREHOLDERS GET
BOARD SEATS ON EXXON AND
CHEVRON.
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE MOST
EFFECTIVE WAY TO ENGAGE
INDUSTRY?
YOU WERE A STATE ATTORNEY
GENERAL, WOULD YOU HAVE FILED A
LAWSUIT IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN
AGAINST AN OIL COMPANY, OR WOULD
YOU BE PURSUING THE SHAREHOLDER
STRATEGY?
>> OR I THINK THAT -- HONESTLY,
THESE COMPANIES ARE SEEING WHERE
THE GLOBE IS GOING.
THEY’RE SEEING THAT THEIR
BIGGEST CUSTOMERS ARE DEMANDING
THAT THEY PRODUCE ENERGY IN A
CLEANER WAY.
SO THEY WANT TO SEE THINGS LIKE
THIS SOLUTION OF ADDING
TECHNOLOGY TO REMOVE CO2 FROM
THEIR PRODUCTION, AS PART OF THE
SOLUTION.
SO TO ME THE CARROTS THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS PUT INTO HIS PLAN
ARE REALLY CARROTS THAT THE
PRIVATE SECTOR IS ASKING FOR,
EVEN THE FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES.
I WON’T SAY ALL OF THEM CLEARLY,
BUT A LOT OF THEM, THE BIG OIL
COMPANIES HAVE ALL -- NOT ALL.
BUT MANY OF THEM HAVE THE SAME
GOALS OF GETTING TO NET ZERO
CARBON EMISSIONS BY 2050.
THEY’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO
DO IT WITHOUT THE TECHNOLOGY
THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO REMOVE
CO2 FROM THEIR PRODUCTION.
BUT, AGAIN, THE PRESIDENT PUT IT
IN HIS PLAN AND I THINK THAT’S A
WAY TO GO.
>> OPTIMISM THAT THE CAPITAL
MARKETS WILL FORCE THE OIL AND