Law360, New York (March 17, 2011, 4:01 PM ET) -- Recent federal legislative proposals and regulatory initiatives target vulnerabilities of the power grid to cybersecurity threats. While these grid-protection efforts have superficial appeal, they pose a risk of jurisdictional ambiguity and conflict among the various regulatory agencies involved and thereby foster regulatory uncertainty for industry participants. More definitive guidance is needed to protect regulated companies against the costs associated with uncertain compliance obligations.

In early February, Congressman Trent Franks, R-Ariz., introduced the Secure High-voltage Infrastructure for Electricity from Lethal Damage Act (H.R. 668) (SHIELD Act), which...