Title: 21st Century Power Grid Act
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
21st Century Power Grid Act
This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a program to provide financial assistance for projects designed to improve the resiliency, performance, or efficiency of the electric grid, while ensuring the provision of safe, secure, reliable, and affordable power.
The projects must demonstrate (1) secure integration and management of energy resources, or (2) secure integration and interoperability of communications and information technologies related to the electric grid.
Each project must include the development of a cybersecurity plan and a privacy effects analysis that evaluates the project in accordance with DOE's Voluntary Code of Conduct, commonly known as the DataGuard Energy Data Privacy Program.
The projects may be designed to deploy a new product or technology that could be used by customers of an electric utility.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5527 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5527

 To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to provide 
financial assistance for projects relating to the modernization of the 
                 electric grid, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2019

 Mr. Sarbanes (for himself, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Veasey) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to provide 
financial assistance for projects relating to the modernization of the 
                 electric grid, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``21st Century Power Grid Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR GRID MODERNIZATION PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall establish a program 
to provide financial assistance to eligible partnerships to carry out 
projects related to the modernization of the electric grid, including--
            (1) projects for the deployment of technologies to improve 
        monitoring of, advanced controls for, and prediction of 
        performance of, a distribution system; and
            (2) projects related to transmission system planning and 
        operation.
    (b) Eligible Projects.--Projects for which an eligible partnership 
may receive financial assistance under subsection (a)--
            (1) shall be designed to improve the resiliency, 
        performance, or efficiency of the electric grid, while ensuring 
        the continued provision of safe, secure, reliable, and 
        affordable power;
            (2) may be designed to deploy a new product or technology 
        that could be used by customers of an electric utility; and
            (3) shall demonstrate--
                    (A) secure integration and management of energy 
                resources, including through distributed energy 
                generation, combined heat and power, microgrids, energy 
                storage, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, demand 
                response, or controllable loads; or
                    (B) secure integration and interoperability of 
                communications and information technologies related to 
                the electric grid.
    (c) Cybersecurity Plan.--Each project carried out with financial 
assistance provided under subsection (a) shall include the development 
of a cybersecurity plan written in accordance with guidelines developed 
by the Secretary of Energy.
    (d) Privacy Effects Analysis.--Each project carried out with 
financial assistance provided under subsection (a) shall include a 
privacy effects analysis that evaluates the project in accordance with 
the Voluntary Code of Conduct of the Department of Energy, commonly 
known as the ``DataGuard Energy Data Privacy Program'', or the most 
recent revisions to the privacy program of the Department.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible 
        partnership'' means a partnership consisting of two or more 
        entities, which--
                    (A) may include--
                            (i) any institution of higher education;
                            (ii) a National Laboratory;
                            (iii) a State or a local government or 
                        other public body created by or pursuant to 
                        State law;
                            (iv) an Indian Tribe;
                            (v) a Federal power marketing 
                        administration; or
                            (vi) an entity that develops and provides 
                        technology; and
                    (B) shall include at least one of any of--
                            (i) an electric utility;
                            (ii) a Regional Transmission Organization; 
                        or
                            (iii) an Independent System Operator.
            (2) Electric utility.--The term ``electric utility'' has 
        the meaning given that term in section 3(22) of the Federal 
        Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796(22)), except that such term does not 
        include an entity described in subparagraph (B) of such 
        section.
            (3) Federal power marketing administration.--The term 
        ``Federal power marketing administration'' means the Bonneville 
        Power Administration, the Southeastern Power Administration, 
        the Southwestern Power Administration, or the Western Area 
        Power Administration.
            (4) Independent system operator; regional transmission 
        organization.--The terms ``Independent System Operator'' and 
        ``Regional Transmission Organization'' have the meanings given 
        those terms in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 
        796).
            (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Energy to carry out this section 
$200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025, to remain 
available until expended.
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