I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7348 
To interconnect the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to its neighbors, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 14, 2024 
Mr. CASAR (for himself, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. 
CLEAVER, Ms. CROCKETT, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. FROST, Mr. 
ROBERT GARCIA of California, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. GREEN of 
Texas, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. NORTON, Mr. HUFFMAN, 
Ms. OMAR, Mrs. RAMIREZ, and Ms. TLAIB) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To interconnect the Electric Reliability Council of Texas 
to its neighbors, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Connect the Grid Act’’. 
SEC. 2. JURISDICTION WITH RESPECT TO ERCOT. 
(a) APPLICATION OF PART.—Section 201(b)(2) of 
the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824(b)(2)) is amended 
by— 
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(1) striking ‘‘210, 211, 211A, 212’’ the second 
place it appears; and 
(2) striking ‘‘an electric utility or other entity’’ 
and inserting ‘‘any entity that is otherwise exempt 
under section 201(f)’’. 
(b) PUBLIC UTILITY DEFINITION.—Section 201(e) of 
the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824(e)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘210, 211, 211A, 212,’’. 
(c) REPEAL OF ERCOT EXEMPTIONS.— 
(1) Section 212 of the Federal Power Act (16 
U.S.C. 824k) is amended by striking subsection (k). 
(2) Section 216 of the Federal Power Act (16 
U.S.C. 824p) is amended by striking subsection (k). 
(3) Section 217 of the Federal Power Act (16 
U.S.C. 824q) is amended by striking subsection (h). 
(4) Section 220 of the Federal Power Act (16 
U.S.C. 824t) is amended by striking subsection (f). 
(d) TECHNICAL CONFERENCE.—Not later than 6 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Com-
mission shall convene a technical conference to assist enti-
ties affected by the amendments made by this section with 
compliance with any requirements pursuant to such 
amendments, including by publishing the steps necessary 
for such compliance. 
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SEC. 3. ELECTRIC RELIABILITY. 
(a) AMENDMENTS.—Section 215 of the Federal 
Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘enlarge 
such facilities or to construct new transmission ca-
pacity or generation capacity’’ and inserting ‘‘con-
struct new generation capacity’’; and 
(2) in subsection (i)(2), by striking ‘‘or trans-
mission’’. 
(b) RELIABILITY STANDARD FOR TOTAL TRANSFER 
CAPABILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission 
shall order the Electric Reliability Organization to 
submit to the Commission a proposed reliability 
standard that requires minimum total transfer capa-
bility of— 
(A) between 4.3 and 12.6 gigawatts be-
tween the area under functional control of 
ERCOT and the area under functional control 
of SPP; 
(B) between 2.5 and 16.2 gigawatts be-
tween the area under functional control of 
ERCOT and the area under functional control 
of MISO; and 
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(C) between 2.6 and 7.9 gigawatts between 
the area under functional control of ERCOT 
and the Western Interconnection. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The Commission may only ap-
prove a proposed reliability standard described in 
paragraph (1) if such reliability standard— 
(A) requires minimum total transfer capa-
bility as described in paragraph (1); and 
(B) requires each of ERCOT and SPP, 
ERCOT and MISO, and ERCOT and 1 or 
more neighboring balancing authorities in the 
Western Interconnection (as determined by the 
Electric Reliability Organization), to jointly 
submit, not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, a plan that— 
(i) designates 1 or more entities to 
site and construct new transmission facili-
ties, or modify existing transmission facili-
ties, to achieve the applicable minimum 
total transfer capability; and 
(ii) includes a timeline for such siting 
and construction or modification, which 
timeline shall include that such siting and 
construction or modification be completed 
by January 1, 2035. 
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(3) PRIORITY.—Any plan for the siting and 
construction or modification of transmission facili-
ties described in paragraph (2)(B) shall prioritize— 
(A) use of grid-enhancing technologies; 
(B) use of existing rights-of-ways, such as 
highways and railroads, to site and construct 
new transmission facilities; 
(C) siting and construction of new trans-
mission facilities on degraded land, including 
sites on the National Priorities List, brownfield 
sites, landfills, abandoned mine land, and con-
taminated or abandoned agricultural lands; 
(D) siting and construction of new trans-
mission facilities that expands access to renew-
able energy sources, including wind, solar, and 
geothermal sources; 
(E) providing meaningful community in-
volvement opportunities, including conducting 
outreach to— 
(i) environmental justice communities, 
including conducting planning meetings, 
set at times and places to maximize the 
number of community members who can 
conveniently attend, with appropriate serv-
ices, including translation and interpreting 
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services and virtual attendance, in such en-
vironmental justice communities; 
(ii) Tribal and Indigenous Commu-
nities; 
(iii) Tribal Governments; and 
(iv) relevant labor organizations; and 
(F) the use of registered apprenticeship 
programs and prevailing wages, as determined 
by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with 
subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United 
States Code. 
(4) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.—Any project to 
site, construct, or modify transmission facilities that 
is conducted to comply with the reliability standard 
described in paragraph (1) shall be subject to the re-
quirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the En-
dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.). 
(c) CONSIDERATION
FOR
NATIONAL
INTEREST 
ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION CORRIDOR.—In carrying out 
section 216 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824p), 
the Secretary of Energy shall consider designating as a 
national interest electric transmission corridor any area 
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in which transmission facilities will be sited and con-
structed or modified pursuant to this section. 
SEC. 4. INCREASED BORROWING AUTHORITY UNDER THE 
TRANSMISSION FACILITATION PROGRAM. 
Section 40106(d)(2) of the Infrastructure Investment 
and Jobs Act (42 U.S.C. 18713(d)(2)) is amended by 
striking 
‘‘$2,500,000,000’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘$13,500,000,000’’. 
SEC. 5. STUDY ON BENEFITS OF INTERCONNECTION WITH 
MEXICO. 
Not later than one year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall conduct a study 
and submit to Congress a report on the reliability, climate, 
and cost benefits of interconnection of facilities for the 
generation, transmission, and sale of electric energy with 
such facilities in Mexico and the siting and construction, 
or modification, of such facilities that will bring the most 
cumulative benefits. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
ABANDONED
MINE
LAND.—The 
term 
‘‘abandoned mine land’’ means land, water, or a wa-
tershed that is contaminated or scarred by extrac-
tion, beneficiation, or processing of ores or minerals 
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(which may include phosphate, but does not include 
coal). 
(2) BROWNFIELD SITE.—The term ‘‘brownfield 
site’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
101(39) of the Comprehensive Environmental Re-
sponse, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 
U.S.C. 9601(39)). 
(3) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 
(4) ELECTRIC
RELIABILITY
ORGANIZATION.— 
The term ‘‘Electric Reliability Organization’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 215(a)(2) of the 
Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)(2)). 
(5) ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE
COMMUNITY.— 
The term ‘‘environmental justice community’’ means 
a community with significant representation of com-
munities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal 
and Indigenous communities that experiences, or is 
at risk of experiencing higher or more adverse 
human health or environmental effects. 
(6) ERCOT.—The term ‘‘ERCOT’’ means the 
Electric Reliability Council of Texas. 
(7) GRID-ENHANCING TECHNOLOGY.—The term 
‘‘grid-enhancing technology’’ means a solution that 
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increases the transfer capability of high-voltage 
transmission facilities. 
(8) MISO.—The term ‘‘MISO’’ means the 
Midcontinent Independent System Operator trans-
mission organization. 
(9) NATIONAL
PRIORITIES
LIST.—The term 
‘‘National Priorities List’’ means the National Prior-
ities List developed by the President in accordance 
with section 105(a)(8)(B) of the Comprehensive En-
vironmental Response, Compensation, and Liability 
Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9605(a)(8)(B)). 
(10) 
REGISTERED
APPRENTICESHIP
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘‘registered apprenticeship pro-
gram’’ means an apprenticeship registered under the 
National Apprenticeship Act that meets the stand-
ards of subpart A of part 29, and part 30, of title 
29, Code of Federal Regulations. 
(11) RELIABILITY STANDARD.—The term ‘‘reli-
ability standard’’ has the meaning given such term 
in section 215(a)(3) of the Federal Power Act (16 
U.S.C. 824o(a)(3)). 
(12) SPP.—The term ‘‘SPP’’ means the South-
west Power Pool transmission organization. 
(13) TOTAL TRANSFER CAPABILITY.—The term 
‘‘total transfer capability’’ has the meaning given 
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such term in section 37.6(b)(1)(vi) of title 18, Code 
of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of 
enactment of this Act). 
(14) 
TRANSMISSION
FACILITY.—The 
term 
‘‘transmission facility’’ means a facility that is used 
for the transmission of electric energy in interstate 
commerce, including transmission lines. 
(15) TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘‘transmission organization’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 215(a)(6) of the Federal Power 
Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)(6)). 
(16) TRIBAL AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY.— 
The term ‘‘Tribal and Indigenous community’’ 
means a population of people who are members of— 
(A) a federally recognized Indian Tribe; 
(B) a State-recognized Indian Tribe; 
(C) an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian 
community or organization; or 
(D) any other community of Indigenous 
people located in a State. 
(17) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal 
Government’’ means the governing body of an In-
dian Tribe. 
(18) WESTERN INTERCONNECTION.—The term 
‘‘Western Interconnection’’ means the synchronously 
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operated electric transmission grid located in the 
western part of North America, including parts of 
Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, 
Texas, Wyoming and Mexico and all of Arizona, 
California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, 
Washington and the Canadian Provinces of British 
Columbia and Alberta. 
Æ 
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