II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1227 

To require the Secretary of Energy to develop an implementation strategy 

to promote the development of hybrid micro-grid systems for isolated 

communities. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 6, 2015 

Ms. MURKOWSKI introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Energy to develop an implementation strategy to promote the development of hybrid 

micro-grid systems for isolated communities. 

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

3 SECTION 1. HYBRID MICRO-GRID SYSTEMS. 

4 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

5 (1) HYBRID MICRO-GRID SYSTEM.—The term 

6 ‘‘hybrid micro-grid system’’ means a stand-alone 

7 electrical system that is comprised of conventional 

8 generation and at least 1 alternative energy re9 source. 


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1 (2) ISOLATED COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘iso2 lated community’’ means a community that is pow3 ered by a stand-alone electric generation and dis4 tribution system without the economic and reliability 

5 benefits of connection to a regional electric grid. 

6 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

7 the Secretary of Energy. 

8 (4) STRATEGY.—The term ‘‘strategy’’ means 

9 the strategy developed pursuant to subsection (b). 

10 (b) STRATEGY.—The Secretary shall develop an im11 plementation strategy to promote the development of hy12 brid micro-grid systems for isolated communities, particu13 larly for those communities exposed to extreme weather 

14 conditions and high costs of energy, including electricity, 

15 space heating and cooling, and transportation. 

16 (c) REQUIREMENTS.—In developing the strategy, the 

17 Secretary shall consider— 

18 (1) establishing future targets for the economic 

19 displacement of conventional generation using hybrid 

20 micro-grid systems, including displacement of con21 ventional generation used for electric power genera22 tion, heating and cooling, and transportation; 

23 (2) the potential for renewable resources, in24 cluding wind, solar, and hydropower, to be inte25 grated into a hybrid micro-grid system; 


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1 (3) opportunities for improving the efficiency of 

2 existing hybrid micro-grid systems; 

3 (4) the capacity of the local workforce to oper4 ate, maintain, and repair a hybrid micro-grid sys5 tem; 

6 (5) opportunities to develop the capacity of the 

7 local workforce to operate, maintain, and repair a 

8 hybrid micro-grid system; 

9 (6) leveraging existing capacity within local or 

10 regional research organizations, such as organiza11 tions based at institutions of higher education, to 

12 support development of hybrid micro-grid systems, 

13 including by testing novel components and systems 

14 prior to field deployment; 

15 (7) the need for basic infrastructure to develop, 

16 deploy, and sustain a hybrid micro-grid system; 

17 (8) input of traditional knowledge from local 

18 leaders of isolated communities in the development 

19 of a hybrid micro-grid system; 

20 (9) the impact of hybrid micro-grid systems on 

21 defense, homeland security, economic development, 

22 and environmental interests; 

23 (10) opportunities to leverage existing inter24 agency coordination efforts and recommendations for 

25 new interagency coordination efforts to minimize unVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:23 May 13, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1227.IS S1227

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1 necessary overhead, mobilization, and other project 

2 costs; and 

3 (11) any other criteria the Secretary determines 

4 appropriate. 

5 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

6 of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Sec7 retary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Nat8 ural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on En9 ergy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a re10 port on the status of the strategy and efforts to implement 

11 the strategy. 

Æ 


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