527
(A) without fiscal year limitation; and 
(B) as if the funds had been appropriated 
specifically for that Project. 
(3) ALLOCATION OF COSTS.—In carrying out a 
Project under subsection (a) or (b), any costs of the 
Project not paid for by contributions from another 
entity shall be collected through rates charged to 
customers using the new transmission capability pro-
vided by the Project and allocated equitably among 
these project beneficiaries using the new trans-
mission capability. 
(d) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.—Nothing in 
this section affects any requirement of—
(1) any Federal environmental law, including 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); 
(2) any Federal or State law relating to the 
siting of energy facilities; or 
(3) any existing authorizing statutes. 
(e) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section shall 
constrain or restrict an Administrator in the utilization 
of other authority delegated to the Administrator of 
WAPA or SWPA. 
(f) SECRETARIAL
DETERMINATIONS.—Any deter-
mination made pursuant to subsections (a) or (b) shall
528
be based on findings by the Secretary using the best avail-
able data. 
(g) MAXIMUM FUNDING AMOUNT.—The Secretary 
shall not accept and use more than $100,000,000 under 
subsection (c)(1) for the period encompassing fiscal years 
2006 through 2015. 
SEC. 1223. TRANSMISSION SYSTEM MONITORING. 
Within 6 months after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Energy and the Federal Energy Reg-
ulatory Commission shall study and report to Congress on 
the steps which must be taken to establish a system to 
make available to all transmission system owners and Re-
gional Transmission Organizations (as defined in the Fed-
eral Power Act) within the Eastern and Western Inter-
connections real-time information on the functional status 
of all transmission lines within such Interconnections. In 
such study, the Commission shall assess technical means 
for implementing such transmission information system 
and identify the steps the Commission or Congress must 
take to require the implementation of such system. 
SEC. 1224. ADVANCED TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGIES. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—The Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, in the exercise of its authorities under the 
Federal Power Act and the Public Utility Regulatory Poli-
529
cies Act of 1978, shall encourage the deployment of ad-
vanced transmission technologies. 
(b) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this section, 
the term ‘‘advanced transmission technologies’’ means 
technologies that increase the capacity, efficiency, or reli-
ability of existing or new transmission facilities, including, 
but not limited to—
(1) high-temperature lines (including super-
conducting cables); 
(2) underground cables; 
(3) advanced conductor technology (including 
advanced composite conductors, high-temperature 
low-sag conductors, and fiber optic temperature 
sensing conductors); 
(4) high-capacity ceramic electric wire, connec-
tors, and insulators; 
(5) optimized transmission line configurations 
(including multiple phased transmission lines); 
(6) modular equipment; 
(7) wireless power transmission; 
(8) ultra-high voltage lines; 
(9) high-voltage DC technology; 
(10) flexible AC transmission systems;
530
(11) energy storage devices (including pumped 
hydro, compressed air, superconducting magnetic en-
ergy storage, flywheels, and batteries); 
(12) controllable load; 
(13) distributed generation (including PV, fuel 
cells, microturbines); 
(14) enhanced power device monitoring; 
(15) direct system state sensors; 
(16) fiber optic technologies; 
(17) power electronics and related software (in-
cluding real time monitoring and analytical soft-
ware); and 
(18) any other technologies the Commission 
considers appropriate. 
(c) 
OBSOLETE
OR
IMPRACTICABLE
TECH-
NOLOGIES.—The Commission is authorized to cease en-
couraging the deployment of any technology described in 
this section on a finding that such technology has been 
rendered obsolete or otherwise impracticable to deploy. 
SEC. 1225. ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION 
PROGRAMS. 
(a) ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION
AND DISTRIBUTION 
PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Energy (hereinafter in this 
section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) acting through the 
Director of the Office of Electric Transmission and Dis-
531
tribution shall establish a comprehensive research, devel-
opment, demonstration and commercial application pro-
gram to promote improved reliability and efficiency of 
electrical transmission and distribution systems. This pro-
gram shall include—
(1) advanced energy delivery and storage tech-
nologies, materials, and systems, including new 
transmission technologies, such as flexible alter-
nating current transmission systems, composite con-
ductor materials and other technologies that enhance 
reliability, operational flexibility, or power-carrying 
capability; 
(2) advanced grid reliability and efficiency tech-
nology development; 
(3) technologies contributing to significant load 
reductions; 
(4) advanced metering, load management, and 
control technologies; 
(5) technologies to enhance existing grid compo-
nents; 
(6) the development and use of high-tempera-
ture superconductors to—
(A) enhance the reliability, operational 
flexibility, or power-carrying capability of elec-
tric transmission or distribution systems; or
532
(B) increase the efficiency of electric en-
ergy generation, transmission, distribution, or 
storage systems; 
(7) integration of power systems, including sys-
tems to deliver high-quality electric power, electric 
power reliability, and combined heat and power; 
(8) supply of electricity to the power grid by 
small scale, distributed and residential-based power 
generators; 
(9) the development and use of advanced grid 
design, operation and planning tools; 
(10) any other infrastructure technologies, as 
appropriate; and 
(11) technology transfer and education. 
(b) PROGRAM PLAN.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this legislation, the Secretary, 
in consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies, 
shall prepare and transmit to Congress a 5-year program 
plan to guide activities under this section. In preparing 
the program plan, the Secretary may consult with utilities, 
energy services providers, manufacturers, institutions of 
higher education, other appropriate State and local agen-
cies, environmental organizations, professional and tech-
nical societies, and any other persons the Secretary con-
siders appropriate.