I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9801 

To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reform the interconnection queue process for the prioritization and approval of certain 

projects. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 

Mr. BALDERSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to 

reform the interconnection queue process for the 

prioritization and approval of certain projects. 

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 ‘‘Guaranteeing Reli5 ability through the Interconnection of Dispatchable Power 

6 Act’’ or the ‘‘GRID Power Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this Act: 


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1 (1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

2 means the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 

3 (2) DISPATCHABLE POWER.—The term 

4 ‘‘dispatchable power’’ means an electric energy gen5 eration resource capable of quickly ramping up or 

6 shutting down in time intervals necessary to ensure 

7 grid reliability. 

8 (3) GRID RELIABILITY.—The term ‘‘grid reli9 ability’’ means the ability of the electric grid to de10 liver electricity in the quantity and with the quality 

11 demanded by users, taking into account the bulk12 power system’s capacity to withstand and rapidly re13 cover from unexpected disturbances resulting from 

14 generation supply and demand. 

15 (4) GRID RESILIENCE.—The term ‘‘grid resil16 ience’’ means the ability of the electric grid to adapt 

17 to changing physical conditions and withstand and 

18 rapidly recover from disturbances, including natural 

19 disasters, cyber-attacks, and other unforeseen 

20 events. 

21 (5) INDEPENDENT SYSTEM OPERATOR.—The 

22 term ‘‘Independent System Operator’’ has the mean23 ing given the term in section 3 of the Federal Power 

24 Act (16 U.S.C. 796). 


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1 (6) REGIONAL TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION.— 

2 The term ‘‘Regional Transmission Organization’’ 

3 has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 

4 Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796). 

5 (7) RESOURCE ADEQUACY.—The term ‘‘re6 source adequacy’’ means the ability of the electric 

7 grid to meet the aggregate demand for electric en8 ergy of users at all times, accounting for scheduled 

9 and unscheduled outages of bulk-power system com10 ponents. 

11 (8) TRANSMISSION PROVIDER.—The term 

12 ‘‘transmission provider’’ means a public utility (as 

13 defined in section 201(e) of the Federal Power Act 

14 (16 U.S.C. 824(e))) that owns, operates, or controls 

15 1 or more transmission facilities and includes Inde16 pendent System Operators and Regional Trans17 mission Organizations. 

18 SEC. 3. RULEMAKING TO IMPROVE INTERCONNECTION 

19 QUEUE FLEXIBILITY. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

21 date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall ini22 tiate a rulemaking— 

23 (1) to address the inefficiencies and ineffective24 ness of existing procedures for processing inter25 connection requests to ensure that new dispatchable 


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1 power projects that improve grid reliability and re2 source adequacy can interconnect to the electric grid 

3 quickly, cost-effectively, and reliably; and 

4 (2) to amend the pro forma Large Generator 

5 Interconnection Procedures and, as appropriate, the 

6 pro forma Large Generator Interconnection Agree7 ment, promulgated pursuant to section 35.28(f) of 

8 title 18, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 

9 regulations)— 

10 (A) to authorize transmission providers to 

11 submit proposals to the Commission to adjust 

12 the interconnection queue of the transmission 

13 provider to prioritize new dispatchable power 

14 projects that will improve grid reliability and 

15 resource adequacy by assigning such projects 

16 higher positions in the interconnection queue; 

17 and 

18 (B) to require transmission providers to— 

19 (i) provide in any proposal described 

20 in subparagraph (A)— 

21 (I) a demonstration of need for 

22 prioritization of the relevant projects; 

23 and 


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1 (II) a description of how the 

2 prioritization of such projects will im3 prove grid reliability or grid resilience; 

4 (ii) provide a process for public com5 ment and stakeholder engagement before 

6 such a proposal is submitted to the Com7 mission; and 

8 (iii) provide regular reporting to the 

9 Commission on the state of grid reliability 

10 and grid resilience, including reporting on 

11 any actions taken pursuant to this Act. 

12 (b) COMMISSION APPROVAL.—The Commission shall 

13 review and approve or deny proposals submitted pursuant 

14 to subsection (a)(2) within 60 days to ensure timely re15 sponses to grid reliability concerns. 

16 (c) DEADLINE FOR FINAL RULE.—Not later than 

17 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Com18 mission shall issue final regulations to complete the rule19 making initiated under subsection (a). 

20 (d) PERIODIC REVIEW.—The Commission shall re21 view and update the regulations issued under this section, 

22 if necessary, every 5 years to ensure such regulations re23 main effective and relevant to evolving grid reliability and 

24 grid resilience challenges. 

Æ 


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