I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4972 
To require the establishment of an advanced energy technology research 
initiative and an advanced energy technology and modeling grant pro-
gram, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 6, 2021 
Mr. QUIGLEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the establishment of an advanced energy tech-
nology research initiative and an advanced energy tech-
nology and modeling grant program, and for other pur-
poses. 
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 ‘‘Advanced Energy 
Technologies and Grid Efficiency Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) ADVANCED
ENERGY
TECHNOLOGY.—The 
term ‘‘advanced energy technology’’ means any en-
ergy generation, monitoring or modifying trans-
mission loading, or storage technology with zero or 
minimal greenhouse gas emissions that is con-
nected— 
(A) to the distribution system; 
(B) to the transmission system; or 
(C) behind the meter. 
(2) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The term ‘‘Advi-
sory Committee’’ means the advisory committee es-
tablished under section 3(a)(2)(A). 
(3) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 
(4) ELECTRIC
UTILITY.—The term ‘‘electric 
utility’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
3 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796). 
(5) GRID
OPERATOR.—The term ‘‘grid oper-
ator’’ means— 
(A) a Transmission Organization, includ-
ing— 
(i) an Independent System Operator; 
and 
(ii) a Regional Transmission Organi-
zation; 
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(B) a public utility; and 
(C) an electric utility. 
(6) INDEPENDENT
SYSTEM
OPERATOR.—The 
term ‘‘Independent System Operator’’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 3 of the Federal Power 
Act (16 U.S.C. 796). 
(7) INITIATIVE.—The term ‘‘Initiative’’ means 
the Advanced Energy Technology Research Initiative 
established under section 3(a)(1). 
(8) PUBLIC UTILITY.—The term ‘‘public util-
ity’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
201(e) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824(e)). 
(9) REGIONAL TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION.— 
The term ‘‘Regional Transmission Organization’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 
Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796). 
(10) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of Energy. 
(11) TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘‘Transmission Organization’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 
U.S.C. 796). 
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SEC. 3. POWER SYSTEM MODELING REFORM AND UPDATES 
TO GRID SERVICES AND GRID OPERATOR 
SOFTWARE. 
(a) ADVANCED ENERGY TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH 
INITIATIVE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission, 
in coordination with the Secretary, shall establish 
within the Office of Energy Policy and Innovation of 
the Commission an initiative, to be known as the 
‘‘Advanced Energy Technology Research Initiative’’, 
to research and provide recommendations on how to 
improve the modeling, operational, and planning 
practices used for the bulk electric system. 
(2) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Commission, in coordination with the Sec-
retary, shall establish an advisory committee to 
research, report on, and provide recommenda-
tions on matters relating to the Initiative, in-
cluding— 
(i) whether the existing modeling (in-
cluding power flow modeling) and long- 
term and short-term planning practices 
used by grid operators for power systems, 
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including power markets, adequately incor-
porate expected integration with respect to 
advanced energy technologies; 
(ii) whether the methods used to de-
termine future transmission and capacity 
needs and make reliability-related deter-
minations use the right data to adequately 
forecast and model the integration of ad-
vanced energy technology into electric 
power systems; 
(iii) whether the modeling and plan-
ning practices described in clause (i) and 
the methods described in clause (ii) need to 
be updated to better account for the inte-
gration of advanced energy technology into 
electric power systems; 
(iv) any undue barriers to the adop-
tion of advanced energy technology pre-
sented by— 
(I) 
existing 
modeling, 
oper-
ational, and planning practices; and 
(II) State estimation tools for 
planning and reliability; 
(v) any need to develop emerging 
technologies or software for use in improv-
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ing modeling, planning, and operations in 
wholesale electricity markets to resolve 
computational or technical barriers to the 
adoption of advanced energy technology, 
including software relating to— 
(I) the use of big data, artificial 
intelligence, and probabilistic methods 
to predict, in near-real-time— 
(aa) energy generation from 
variable 
and 
distributed 
re-
sources; 
(bb) load profiles; and 
(cc) consumption and con-
gestion; and 
(II) the use of artificial intel-
ligence to improve the responsiveness 
of energy system operations; 
(vi) whether existing and future grid 
reliability service definitions and the mod-
eling techniques, operational processes, and 
planning processes used to procure grid re-
liability services— 
(I) appropriately account for the 
technical and operational characteris-
tics of advanced energy technologies; 
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