I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1514 
To amend the Federal Power Act to increase transmission capacity for clean 
energy, reduce congestion, and increase grid resilience. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 2, 2021 
Mr. PETERS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Federal Power Act to increase transmission 
capacity for clean energy, reduce congestion, and increase 
grid resilience. 
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 ‘‘Prevent Outages With 
Energy Resilient Options Nationwide Act’’ or the 
‘‘POWER ON Act’’. 
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO FEDERAL POWER ACT. 
(a) DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL INTEREST ELEC-
TRIC TRANSMISSION CORRIDORS.—Section 216(a) of the 
Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824p(a)) is amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘capacity 
constraints and’’ before ‘‘congestion’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘, not less often than once 
every 3 years,’’ after ‘‘Secretary shall’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and Indian tribes’’ after 
‘‘affected States’’; 
(C) by inserting ‘‘or other information 
about electric transmission capacity constraints 
or congestion’’ after ‘‘the study’’; and 
(D) by inserting ‘‘, or that is expected to 
experience such constraints or congestion,’’ 
after ‘‘consumers’’; 
(3) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, not less 
often than once every 3 years,’’ after ‘‘Secretary 
shall’’; and 
(4) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘or 
energy security’’ after ‘‘independence’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(C) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘se-
curity.’’ and inserting ‘‘security;’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(F) the designation would— 
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‘‘(i) enhance the ability of facilities that 
generate or transmit renewable energy, low- 
emission energy, or emission-free energy to con-
nect to the electric grid; 
‘‘(ii) promote electrification of other sec-
tors, including the transportation sector; or 
‘‘(iii) facilitate other public policies to 
decarbonize the grid; 
‘‘(G) the designation— 
‘‘(i) maximizes existing rights-of-way, in-
cluding along highways, brownfields, and rail-
ways; and 
‘‘(ii) avoids, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, sensitive environmental areas and cul-
tural heritage sites; and 
‘‘(H) the designation would result in a reduc-
tion in the cost to purchase electric energy for con-
sumers.’’. 
(b) CONSTRUCTION PERMIT.—Section 216(b) of the 
Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824p(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by inserting 
‘‘or interregional benefits’’ after ‘‘interstate 
benefits’’; and 
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(B) by amending subparagraph (C) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(C) a State commission or other entity that 
has authority to approve the siting of the facilities 
has— 
‘‘(i) not approved or denied an application 
seeking approval pursuant to applicable law by 
the date that is 1 year after the filing of the 
application or 1 year after the designation of 
the relevant national interest electric trans-
mission corridor, whichever is later; 
‘‘(ii) conditioned its approval in such a 
manner that the proposed construction or modi-
fication will not significantly reduce trans-
mission congestion in interstate commerce or is 
not economically feasible; or 
‘‘(iii) denied an application seeking ap-
proval pursuant to applicable law;’’. 
(c) RIGHTS-OF-WAY.—Section 216(e)(1) of the Fed-
eral Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824p(e)(1)) is amended by in-
serting ‘‘and the permit holder has made good faith efforts 
to engage landowners and other stakeholders early,’’ after 
‘‘facilities,’’. 
(d) INTERSTATE COMPACTS.—Section 216(i) of the 
Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824p) is amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘may’’ and in-
serting ‘‘shall’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘the members 
of the compact are in disagreement and the Sec-
retary makes, after notice and an opportunity for a 
hearing, 
the 
finding 
described 
in 
subsection 
(b)(1)(C)’’ and inserting ‘‘the Secretary finds that 
the members of the compact are in disagreement 
after the date that is 1 year after the filing of an 
application for the facility or 1 year after the des-
ignation of the relevant national interest electric 
transmission corridor, whichever is later’’. 
Æ 
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