(2) ENERGY
STORAGE
PROJECT.—The term 
‘‘energy storage project’’ means equipment which re-
ceives, stores, and delivers energy using batteries, 
compressed air, pumped hydropower, hydrogen stor-
age (including hydrolysis), thermal energy storage, 
regenerative fuel cells, flywheels, capacitors, super-
conducting magnets, or other technologies identified 
by the Secretary of Energy, and which has a capac-
ity of not less than 5 kilowatt hours. 
(3) GENERATION
PROJECT.—The term ‘‘gen-
eration project’’ means any facility— 
(A) that generates electricity; and 
(B) the interconnection request of which is 
subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission. 
(4) GENERATOR TIE LINE.—The term ‘‘gener-
ator tie line’’ means a dedicated transmission line 
that is used to transmit power from a generation 
project or an energy storage project to a trans-
mission facility or a transmission system. 
(5) GRID ENHANCING TECHNOLOGY.—The term 
‘‘grid enhancing technology’’ means any technology 
or equipment that increases the capacity, efficiency, 
or reliability of a transmission facility or trans-
mission system, including— 
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(A) power flow control and transmission 
switching equipment; 
(B) energy storage technology; 
(C) topology optimization technology; 
(D) dynamic line rating technology; and 
(E) other advanced transmission tech-
nologies, such as composite reinforced alu-
minum conductors or high temperature super-
conductors. 
(6) INTERCONNECTION CUSTOMER.—The term 
‘‘interconnection customer’’ means a person or entity 
that has submitted a request to interconnect a gen-
eration project or an energy storage project that is 
subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission to the 
owner or operator of a transmission facility or a 
transmission system. 
(7) NETWORK UPGRADE.—The term ‘‘network 
upgrade’’ means— 
(A) any modification of, addition to, or ex-
pansion of any transmission facility or trans-
mission system; 
(B) the construction of a new facility that 
will become part of a transmission system; 
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(C) the addition of an energy storage 
project to a transmission facility or a trans-
mission system; and 
(D) any construction, deployment, or addi-
tion of grid enhancing technology to a trans-
mission facility or a transmission system that 
eliminates or reduces the need to carry out any 
of the activities described in subparagraphs (A) 
through (C). 
(8) PARTICIPANT FUNDING.—The term ‘‘partic-
ipant funding’’ means any cost allocation method 
under which an interconnection customer is required 
to pay, without reimbursement, all or a dispropor-
tionate amount of the costs of a network upgrade 
that is determined to be necessary to ensure the reli-
able interconnection of the interconnection cus-
tomer’s generation project or energy storage project. 
(9) PUBLIC UTILITY.—The term ‘‘public util-
ity’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
201(e) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824(e)). 
(10) RENEWABLE GENERATION PROJECT.—The 
term ‘‘renewable generation project’’ means a gen-
eration project that generates electricity from a re-
newable energy resource, including wind, solar, geo-
thermal, and hydropower. 
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(11) REGIONAL TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION; 
INDEPENDENT
SYSTEM
OPERATOR.—The 
terms 
‘‘Regional Transmission Organization’’ and ‘‘Inde-
pendent System Operator’’ have the meanings given 
such terms in section 3 of the Federal Power Act 
(16 U.S.C. 796). 
(12) 
TRANSMISSION
SYSTEM.—The 
term 
‘‘transmission system’’ means a network of trans-
mission facilities used for the transmission of elec-
tric energy in interstate commerce. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) in much of the United States renewable 
generation projects and energy storage projects face 
unfair and inefficient barriers to Commission-juris-
dictional interconnection with the electric grid; 
(2) legislation is needed to accelerate the timely 
and efficient interconnection of renewable generation 
projects and energy storage projects, and to ensure 
that individual interconnection customers are not 
forced to bear disproportionate amounts of shared 
network upgrade costs; 
(3) network upgrades required to be con-
structed 
to 
interconnect 
renewable 
generation 
projects and energy storage projects benefit all 
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transmission system customers as well as parties 
that receive power delivered over such transmission 
systems; 
(4) the practice of exclusive or disproportionate 
participant funding, whereby the costs of network 
upgrades are assigned solely or disproportionately to 
individual interconnection customers, is unduly dis-
criminatory, harmful to consumers, and not in the 
public interest; 
(5) in certain cases, the deployment of grid en-
hancing technologies can substitute for, and thereby 
reduce the need for, time required, or cost to con-
struct, a traditional transmission upgrade or addi-
tion, such as modifying or adding a conductor or 
substation element, that otherwise would be required 
to interconnect a new generation project or energy 
storage project; 
(6) by reducing the need for, and the time nec-
essary to construct, a traditional transmission up-
grade or addition, such as modifying or adding a 
conductor or substation element, the deployment of 
grid enhancing technologies would facilitate timely, 
efficient, and cost-effective interconnections, and the 
renewable generation projects and energy storage 
projects dependent on those interconnections, and 
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