Title: Utility Resilience and Reliability Act
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Utility Resilience and Reliability Act
This bill addresses the reliability of electric energy provided by the bulk-power system, which includes facilities and control systems necessary for operating an interconnected electric energy transmission network.
Specifically, the Electric Reliability Organization must file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission a proposed reliability standard that addresses the resilience of the bulk-power system. For example, the standard must address the system's ability to withstand and rapidly recover from disruptions, such as extreme weather conditions. The standard must take into account regional differences.
In addition, the Department of Energy (DOE) must establish a program to provide information and recommendations to states and electric utilities on how to improve the resilience of electric grids. DOE must also post on its website a report that provides recommendations on how to minimize the need for, effects of, and duration of planned electric power outages that are due to extreme weather conditions.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7186 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7186

  To amend the Federal Power Act to require the Electric Reliability 
   Organization to propose a reliability standard that addresses the 
      resilience of the bulk-power system, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 2020

Mr. Thompson of California (for himself, Mr. Bera, Mr. DeSaulnier, Ms. 
 Eshoo, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Khanna, Mr. LaMalfa, Ms. Lofgren, Ms. Matsui, 
 Mr. Panetta, and Mr. Swalwell of California) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Federal Power Act to require the Electric Reliability 
   Organization to propose a reliability standard that addresses the 
      resilience of the bulk-power system, 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 ``Utility Resilience and Reliability 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PROPOSED RELIABILITY STANDARD.

    Section 215(d) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(d)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
                    ``(7) Resilience of bulk-power system.--
                            ``(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year 
                        after the date of enactment of this paragraph, 
                        the Electric Reliability Organization shall 
                        file with the Commission a proposed reliability 
                        standard that addresses the resilience of the 
                        bulk-power system.
                            ``(B) Regional differences.--The proposed 
                        reliability standard filed under subsection (A) 
                        shall take into account regional differences.
                            ``(C) Resilience defined.--In this 
                        paragraph, the term `resilience' means the 
                        ability to--
                                    ``(i) prepare for and adapt to 
                                changing conditions; and
                                    ``(ii) withstand and rapidly 
                                recover from disruptions, including 
                                disruptions caused by extreme weather 
                                conditions.''.

SEC. 3. ELECTRIC GRID RESILIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this section, the Secretary of Energy shall establish a program to 
provide information and recommendations to States and electric 
utilities on how to improve the resilience of electric grids.
    (b) Electric Utility Defined.--The term ``electric utility'' has 
the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 
U.S.C. 796).

SEC. 4. REPORT ON PLANNED ELECTRIC POWER OUTAGES DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER 
              CONDITIONS.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, 
the Secretary of Energy shall submit to Congress a report, and publish 
such report on the website of the Department of Energy, that provides 
recommendations on how to minimize the need for, effects of, and 
duration of planned electric power outages that are due to extreme 
weather conditions, including such conditions under which the National 
Weather Service issues a red flag warning.
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