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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9801 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

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.

    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) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Energy Regulatory Commission.
            (2) Dispatchable power.--The term ``dispatchable power'' 
        means an electric energy generation resource capable of quickly 
        ramping up or shutting down in time intervals necessary to 
        ensure grid reliability.
            (3) Grid reliability.--The term ``grid reliability'' means 
        the ability of the electric grid to deliver electricity in the 
        quantity and with the quality demanded by users, taking into 
        account the bulk-power system's capacity to withstand and 
        rapidly recover from unexpected disturbances resulting from 
        generation supply and demand.
            (4) 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 disturbances, 
        including natural disasters, cyber-attacks, and other 
        unforeseen events.
            (5) 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).
            (6) 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).
            (7) Resource adequacy.--The term ``resource adequacy'' 
        means the ability of the electric grid to meet the aggregate 
        demand for electric energy of users at all times, accounting 
        for scheduled and unscheduled outages of bulk-power system 
        components.
            (8) Transmission provider.--The term ``transmission 
        provider'' means 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 and 
        includes Independent System Operators and Regional Transmission 
        Organizations.

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 such projects higher positions in the 
                interconnection queue; and
                    (B) to require transmission providers to--
                            (i) 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 such projects will 
                                improve grid reliability or grid 
                                resilience;
                            (ii) provide a process for public comment 
                        and stakeholder engagement before such a 
                        proposal is submitted to the Commission; and
                            (iii) 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.--The Commission shall review and approve 
or deny proposals submitted pursuant to subsection (a)(2) within 60 
days to ensure timely responses to grid reliability concerns.
    (c) Deadline for Final Rule.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall issue final 
regulations to complete the rulemaking initiated under subsection (a).
    (d) Periodic Review.--The Commission shall review and update the 
regulations issued under this section, if necessary, every 5 years to 
ensure such regulations remain effective and relevant to evolving grid 
reliability and grid resilience challenges.
                                 <all>
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