119-s465

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 465 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 465

 To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reform the 
 interconnection queue process for the prioritization and approval of 
 certain projects, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 6 (legislative day, February 5), 2025

 Mr. Hoeven (for himself and Mr. Young) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
 Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reform the 
 interconnection queue process for the prioritization and approval of 
 certain projects, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Guaranteeing Reliability through the 
Interconnection of Dispatchable Power Act'' or the ``GRID Power Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Bulk-power system.--The term ``bulk-power system'' has 
 the meaning given the term in 

section 215

    (a) of the Federal 
 Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o

    (a) ).

    (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
 Energy Regulatory Commission.

    (3) Dispatchable power.--The term ``dispatchable power'' 
 means an electric energy generation resource capable of 
 providing known and forecastable electric supply in time 
 intervals necessary to ensure grid reliability.

    (4) Grid reliability.--The term ``grid reliability'' means 
 the ability of the electric grid to deliver an adequate, 
 secure, and stable flow of electricity in the quantity and with 
 the quality demanded by users, taking into account the ability 
 of the bulk-power system to withstand sudden disturbances.

    (5) Grid resilience.--The term ``grid resilience'' means 
 the ability of the electric grid to adapt to changing physical 
 conditions and withstand and rapidly recover from significant 
 disturbances, including natural disasters, cyber-attacks, and 
 other unforeseen events.

    (6) Independent system operator.--The term ``Independent 
 System Operator'' has the meaning given the term in 

section 3 
 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796).

    (7) Regional transmission organization.--The term 
 ``Regional Transmission Organization'' has the meaning given 
 the term in 

section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796).

    (8) Resource adequacy.--The term ``resource adequacy'' 
 means the ability of the electric system to meet the aggregate 
 electrical demand and energy requirements of end-use customers 
 at all times, accounting for scheduled and reasonably expected 
 unscheduled outages of bulk-power system components.

    (9) Transmission provider.--The term ``transmission 
 provider'' means--
        (A) a public utility (as defined in 

section 201

    (e) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824

    (e) )) that owns, 
 operates, or controls 1 or more transmission 
 facilities;
        (B) an Independent System Operator; and
            (C) a Regional Transmission Organization.

SEC. 3. RULEMAKING TO IMPROVE INTERCONNECTION QUEUE FLEXIBILITY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Commission shall initiate a rulemaking--

    (1) to address the inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of 
 existing procedures for processing interconnection requests to 
 ensure that new dispatchable power projects that improve grid 
 reliability and resource adequacy can interconnect to the 
 electric grid quickly, cost-effectively, and reliably; and

    (2) to amend the pro forma Large Generator Interconnection 
 Procedures and, as appropriate, the pro forma Large Generator 
 Interconnection Agreement, promulgated pursuant to 

section 35.28

    (f) of title 18, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 
 regulations)--
        (A) to authorize transmission providers to submit 
 proposals to the Commission to adjust the 
 interconnection queue of the transmission provider to 
 prioritize new dispatchable power projects that will 
 improve grid reliability and resource adequacy by 
 assigning those projects higher positions in the 
 interconnection queue; and
        (B) to require transmission providers--
            (i) to provide in any proposal described in 
 subparagraph
        (A) --
            (I) a demonstration of need for 
 prioritization of the relevant 
 projects; and
            (II) a description of how the 
 prioritization of those projects will 
 improve grid reliability or grid 
 resilience;
            (ii) to provide a process for public 
 comment and stakeholder engagement before a 
 proposal described in subparagraph
        (A) is 
 submitted to the Commission; and
            (iii) to provide regular reporting to the 
 Commission on the state of grid reliability and 
 grid resilience, including reporting on any 
 actions taken pursuant to this Act.

    (b) Commission Approval.--To ensure timely responses to grid 
reliability concerns, not later than 60 days after a proposal is 
submitted pursuant to subsection

    (a)

    (2) , the Commission shall--

    (1) review the proposal; and

    (2) approve or deny the proposal.
            (c) Deadline for Final Rule.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate final 
regulations to complete the rulemaking initiated under subsection

    (a) .
            (d) Periodic Review.--Not less frequently than once every 5 years, 
the Commission shall review and, if necessary, update the regulations 
promulgated under this section to ensure that those regulations remain 
effective and relevant to evolving grid reliability and grid resilience 
challenges.
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