687 
(m) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT-
TENT SERVICES.—The Chairman of the Commission may 
procure temporary and intermittent services under section 
3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individ-
uals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual 
rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5316 of such title. 
(n) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The 
Commission may secure directly from any Federal depart-
ment or agency such information as the Commission con-
siders necessary to carry out this part. Upon request of 
the Chairman of the Commission, the head of such depart-
ment or agency shall furnish such information to the Com-
mission. The Commission shall maintain the same level of 
confidentiality for such information made available under 
this subsection as is required of the head of the depart-
ment or agency from which the information was obtained. 
(o) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use 
the United States mails in the same manner and under 
the same conditions as other departments and agencies of 
the Federal Government. 
SEC. 9113. GRID ASSESSMENT AND REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Grid Modernization Commis-
sion shall undertake, and update on a biannual basis, an 
assessment of the progress toward modernizing the elec-
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tric system from generation to ultimate electricity con-
sumption, including implementation of ‘‘smart grid’’ tech-
nologies. The Commission shall prepare this assessment 
with input from stakeholders including but not limited to 
electric utilities, other Federal offices, States, companies 
involved in developing related technologies, the National 
Electric Reliability Organization recognized by the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission, electricity customers, and 
persons with special related expertise. The assessment 
shall include each of the following: 
(1) An updated inventory of existing smart grid 
systems. 
(2) A description of the condition of existing 
grid infrastructure and procedures for determining 
the need for new infrastructure; 
(3) A description of any plans of States, utili-
ties, or others to introduce smart grid systems and 
technologies. 
(4) An assessment of constraints to deployment 
of smart grid technology and most important oppor-
tunities for doing so, including the readiness or lack 
thereof of enabling technologies. 
(5) An assessment of remaining potential bene-
fits resulting from introduction of smart grid sys-
tems, including benefits related to demand-side effi-
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ciencies, improved reliability, improved security, re-
duced prices, and improved integration of renewable 
resources. 
(6) Recommendations for legislative or regu-
latory changes to remove barriers to and create in-
centives for smart grid system implementation and 
to meet the policy goals of this title. 
(7) An estimate of the potential costs required 
for modernization of the electricity grid, with speci-
ficity relative to geographic areas and components of 
the grid, together with an assessment of whether the 
necessary funds would be available to meet such 
costs, and the sources of such funds. 
(8) An assessment of ancillary benefits to other 
economic sectors or activities beyond the electricity 
sector, such as potential broadband service over 
power lines. 
(9) An assessment of technologies, activities or 
opportunities in energy end use devices, customer 
premises, buildings, and power generation and stor-
age devices that could accelerate or expand the im-
pact and effectiveness of smart grid advances. 
(10) An assessment of potential risks to per-
sonal privacy, corporate confidentiality, and grid se-
curity from the spread of smart grid technologies, 
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