Empowering Electric Grid Reliability Act

To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a task force to study and report on supply chains for local electric distribution grids in the United States, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Empowering Electric Grid Reliability Act 2. Task force study and report (a) Establishment of task force Not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall establish a task force— (1) to conduct a study on supply chains for essential components of local electric distribution grids, as identified by the Secretary of Energy, including substation transformers and equipment and downline facilities that deliver retail electric energy to homes and businesses; and (2) to submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on such study, in accordance with this section. (b) Study and report (1) Study The task force shall conduct a study that— (A) identifies, with respect to each supply chain for an essential component of a local electric distribution grid, the goods and materials that are essential to such supply chain; (B) identifies the manufacturing or other capabilities necessary to produce the goods and materials identified under subparagraph (A), including emerging capabilities; (C) identifies, with respect to each supply chain for an essential component of a local electric distribution grid, the defense, intelligence, cyber, homeland security, health, climate, environmental, natural, market, economic, geopolitical, human-rights, or forced-labor risks or other contingencies that may disrupt, strain, compromise, or eliminate such supply chain and that are sufficiently likely to arise so as to require reasonable preparation for their occurrence, including risks— (i) posed by the reliance of such supply chain on digital products that may be vulnerable to failures or exploitation; and (ii) resulting from the elimination of, or failure to develop domestically, the capabilities identified under subparagraph (B); (D) reviews the resilience and capacity of domestic supply chains for essential components of local electric distribution grids, and the industrial and agricultural base of the United States, to support national and economic security and emergency preparedness in the event any of the contingencies identified under subparagraph (C) occurs, including identification and review of— (i) the resilience and capacity of the manufacturing or other needed capabilities of the United States, including the ability to modernize to meet future needs; (ii) gaps in domestic manufacturing capabilities, including nonexistent, extinct, threatened, or single-point-of-failure capabilities; (iii) any supply chain for an essential component of a local electric distribution grid with a single point of failure, single or dual suppliers, or limited resilience, especially for subcontractors (as defined under section 44.101 of title 48, Code of Federal Regulations); (iv) the location of key manufacturing and production assets, with any significant risks identified under subparagraph (C) posed by the assets’ physical location; (v) any exclusive or dominant supply of goods and materials identified under subparagraph (A) by or through nations that are, or are likely to become, unfriendly or unstable; (vi) the availability of substitutes or alternative sources for goods and materials identified under subparagraph (A); (vii) current domestic education and manufacturing workforce skills for each supply chain for an essential component of a local electric distribution grid, and identified gaps, opportunities, and potential best practices in meeting the future workforce needs for such supply chain; (viii) the need for research and development capacity to sustain leadership in the development of goods and materials identified under subparagraph (A); and (ix) the role of transportation systems in supporting existing supply chains for essential components of local electric distribution grids and risks associated with those transportation systems; (E) examines allied and partner actions regarding supply chains for essential components of local electric distribution grids, including with respect to the goods and materials identified under subparagraph (A), and possible avenues for international engagement; and (F) identifies a prioritization of the goods and materials identified under subparagraph (A) for the purpose of identifying policy recommendations that is based on— (i) statutory or regulatory requirements; (ii) importance to national security, emergency preparedness, and strengthening the resilience of supply chains for essential components of local electric distribution grids; and (iii) the review conducted pursuant to subparagraph (D). (2) Report Not later than 3 months after the task force is established, the task force shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the study conducted under paragraph (1) that includes— (A) specific policy recommendations for ensuring resilient supply chains for essential components of local electric distribution grids, including recommendations for— (i) sustainably reshoring such supply chains and developing domestic supplies for such supply chains; (ii) cooperating with allies and partners to identify alternative supplies for such supply chains, including for goods and materials identified in the study under paragraph (1)(A); (iii) building redundancy into domestic supply chains for essential components of local electric distribution grids; (iv) ensuring and enlarging stockpiles of goods and materials identified in the study under paragraph (1)(A); (v) developing workforce capabilities for producing essential components of local electric distribution grids, including goods and materials identified in the study under paragraph (1)(A); (vi) expanding research and development with respect to such supply chains; and (vii) addressing risks due to vulnerabilities in digital products relied on by any such supply chain; (B) any recommendations for executive, legislative, regulatory, and policy changes and any other actions to— (i) strengthen the capabilities identified in the study under paragraph (1)(B); and (ii) prevent, avoid, or prepare for any of the contingencies identified in the study under paragraph (1)(C); and (C) any recommendations for improving Government-wide efforts to strengthen supply chains for essential components of local electric distribution grids, including proposals for coordinating Government actions. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; (B) the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate; (C) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; (D) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and (E) the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives. (2) Supply chain The term supply chain (3) Task force The term task force

Summary: Empowering Electric Grid Reliability ActThis bill directs the Department of Energy to establish a task force to study and report on supply chains for essential components of local electric distribution grids, including substation transformers, equipment, and facilities that deliver retail electric energy to homes and businesses.