I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4206 

To provide for a technology demonstration program related to the 

modernization of the electric grid. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 9, 2015 

Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Mrs. ELLMERS of North Carolina, and Mr. 

MCNERNEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 

Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To provide for a technology demonstration program related 

to the modernization of the electric grid. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘21st Century Power 

5 Grid Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION ON THE DISTRIBU2 TION SYSTEM. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy shall es4 tablish a financial assistance program to carry out eligible 

5 projects related to the modernization of the electric grid, 

6 including the application of technologies to improve ob7 servability, advanced controls, and prediction of system 

8 performance on the distribution system and related trans9 mission system inter-dependencies. 

10 (b) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—To be eligible for financial 

11 assistance under subsection (a), a project shall— 

12 (1) be designed to— 

13 (A) improve the performance and efficiency 

14 of the future electric grid, while ensuring the 

15 continued provision of safe, secure, reliable, and 

16 affordable power; and 

17 (B) provide new options for customer18 owned resources; and 

19 (2) demonstrate— 

20 (A) secure integration and management of 

21 energy resources, including distributed energy 

22 generation, combined heat and power, micro23 grids, energy storage, electric vehicles, energy 

24 efficiency, demand response, and intelligent 

25 loads; and 


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1 (B) secure integration and interoperability 

2 of communications and information tech3 nologies; 

4 (3) include the participation of a partnership 

5 consisting of two or more entities that— 

6 (A) may include— 

7 (i) any institution of higher education; 

8 (ii) a National Laboratory; 

9 (iii) a representative of a State or 

10 local government; 

11 (iv) a representative of an Indian 

12 tribe; or 

13 (v) a Federal power marketing admin14 istration; and 

15 (B) shall include at least one of any of— 

16 (i) an investor-owned electric utility; 

17 (ii) a publicly owned utility; 

18 (iii) a technology provider; 

19 (iv) a rural electric cooperative; 

20 (v) a regional transmission organiza21 tion; or 

22 (vi) an independent system operator. 

23 (c) CYBERSECURITY PLAN.—Each eligible project 

24 carried out pursuant to subsection (a) shall include the 


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1 development of a cybersecurity plan written in accordance 

2 with guidelines developed by the Secretary. 

3 (d) PRIVACY RISK ANALYSIS.—Each eligible project 

4 carried out pursuant to subsection (a) shall include a pri5 vacy impact assessment that evaluates the project against 

6 the 5 core concepts in the Voluntary Code of Conduct of 

7 the Department of Energy, commonly known as the 

8 ‘‘DataGuard Energy Data Privacy Program’’, or the most 

9 recent revisions to the privacy program of the Depart10 ment. 

Æ 


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