I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1558 
To clarify that compliance with an emergency order under section 202(c) 
of the Federal Power Act may not be considered a violation of any 
Federal, State, or local environmental law or regulation, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 24, 2015 
Mr. OLSON (for himself, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, and Mr. MICHAEL F. 
DOYLE of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To clarify that compliance with an emergency order under 
section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act may not be 
considered a violation of any Federal, State, or local 
environmental law or regulation, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Resolving Environ-
mental and Grid Reliability Conflicts Act of 2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE FEDERAL POWER ACT. 
(a) COMPLIANCE WITH OR VIOLATION OF ENVIRON-
MENTAL LAWS WHILE UNDER EMERGENCY ORDER.— 
Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 
824a(c)) is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ after ‘‘(c)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) With respect to an order issued under this sub-
section that may result in a conflict with a requirement 
of any Federal, State, or local environmental law or regu-
lation, the Commission shall ensure that such order re-
quires generation, delivery, interchange, or transmission 
of electric energy only during hours necessary to meet the 
emergency and serve the public interest, and, to the max-
imum extent practicable, is consistent with any applicable 
Federal, State, or local environmental law or regulation 
and minimizes any adverse environmental impacts. 
‘‘(3) To the extent any omission or action taken by 
a party, that is necessary to comply with an order issued 
under this subsection, including any omission or action 
taken to voluntarily comply with such order, results in 
noncompliance with, or causes such party to not comply 
with, any Federal, State, or local environmental law or 
regulation, such omission or action shall not be considered 
a violation of such environmental law or regulation, or 
subject such party to any requirement, civil or criminal 
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liability, or a citizen suit under such environmental law 
or regulation. 
‘‘(4)(A) An order issued under this subsection that 
may result in a conflict with a requirement of any Federal, 
State, or local environmental law or regulation shall expire 
not later than 90 days after it is issued. The Commission 
may renew or reissue such order pursuant to paragraphs 
(1) and (2) for subsequent periods, not to exceed 90 days 
for each period, as the Commission determines necessary 
to meet the emergency and serve the public interest. 
‘‘(B) In renewing or reissuing an order under sub-
paragraph (A), the Commission shall consult with the pri-
mary Federal agency with expertise in the environmental 
interest protected by such law or regulation, and shall in-
clude in any such renewed or reissued order such condi-
tions as such Federal agency determines necessary to min-
imize any adverse environmental impacts to the maximum 
extent practicable. The conditions, if any, submitted by 
such Federal agency shall be made available to the public. 
The Commission may exclude such a condition from the 
renewed or reissued order if it determines that such condi-
tion would prevent the order from adequately addressing 
the emergency necessitating such order and provides in 
the order, or otherwise makes publicly available, an expla-
nation of such determination. 
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‘‘(5) If an order issued under this subsection is subse-
quently stayed, modified, or set aside by a court pursuant 
to section 313 or any other provision of law, any omission 
or action previously taken by a party that was necessary 
to comply with the order while the order was in effect, 
including any omission or action taken to voluntarily com-
ply with the order, shall remain subject to paragraph 
(3).’’. 
(b) TEMPORARY CONNECTION OR CONSTRUCTION BY 
MUNICIPALITIES.—Section 202(d) of the Federal Power 
Act (16 U.S.C. 824a(d)) is amended by inserting ‘‘or mu-
nicipality’’ before ‘‘engaged in the transmission or sale of 
electric energy’’. 
Æ 
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