Renewable Energy Jobs and Security Act

Bill: 111-hr-5883
Sponsor: Rep. Inslee, Jay [D-WA-1]
Introduced: 2010-07-27 in the House
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Alternative and renewable resources
Business investment and capital
Business records
Department of Energy
Electric power generation and transmission
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Government studies and investigations
Public utilities and utility rates

Summary:
action_date: 2010-07-27
text: 
Renewable Energy Jobs and Security Act - Amends the Federal Power Act to direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to propose rules establishing standards for the physical connection between specified types of renewable energy facilities and transmission facilities of transmitting utilities subject to FERC jurisdiction. Requires such standards to: (1) include separate expedited procedures for interconnecting 10-kilowatt maximum renewable energy facilities and for expediting interconnection for 2000-kilowatt maximum facilities; and (2) address safety, reliability, performance, cost, and network upgrades. Allows FERC to consider a clustering approach that allows concurrent interconnection of facilities where requests are placed within succeeding six-month periods.
 
Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to require each electric utility to: (1) adopt standards for interconnection with renewable energy facilities as are necessary to ensure that renewable energy facilities are given priority interconnection and priority access to available capacity on the utility's transmission and distribution system over non-renewable energy facilities; and (2) permit any renewable energy facility to apply to the state regulatory authority for an order requiring the interconnection of such facility with the system of the utility.
 
Requires the Secretary of Energy to transmit to Congress and to FERC a report that spatially maps national renewable energy resources and conducts cost assessments for renewable energy facility development with respect to all available technologies.
 
Requires FERC to prescribe rules to encourage the purchase of electric energy by public utilities from renewable energy facilities on a priority basis, under a standard contract, and at rates established on a uniform national basis by FERC. Provides procedures for the setting and adjusting of such rates and for application of net metering.

Requires reports concerning interconnection of renewable energy facilities by utilities to the Energy Information Administration and by the Secretary to Congress and the public.

Requires FERC to design a regional cost redistribution mechanism consisting of a system benefits charge payable by every end-use consumer of an electric utility to the utility, to be transferred to a national renewable energy corporation for reimbursement of the costs associated with this Act's interconnection and power purchase requirements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-07-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2010-07-27
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2010-07-27
text: Referred to House Science and Technology
action_date: 2010-07-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Science and Technology, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2010-07-27
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2010-07-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2010-07-27
text: Introduced in House