POWER Act

Bill: 115-hr-4063
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9]
Introduced: 2017-10-12
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Atmospheric science and weather

Department of Energy

Electric power generation and transmission

Government information and archives

Natural disasters

Public utilities and utility rates
Latest action: action_date: 2017-10-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-10-12
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Power Outage for Weather Emergency Repair Act or the</b> <b>POWER Act </b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE)to maintain a database of information on electricity outages that is publicly accessible and includes the specific cause and impact of the outages.</p> <p>DOE shall promulgate a rule to require each electric utility to report to the Energy Information Administration information on electricity outages that interrupt service resulting in a loss of more than 300 megawatts or affecting at least 50,000 electric customers.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4063 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 12, 2017 Mr. Soto introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To require the Secretary of Energy to maintain a database of information on electricity outages, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Power Outage for Weather Emergency Repair Act or the POWER Act . 2. Electricity outage database (a) Database Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall maintain a database of information on electricity outages that— (1) is publicly accessible; and (2) includes— (A) for each such outage— (i) the specific cause of the outage, including type of weather event or natural disaster and strength of such weather event or natural disaster, if applicable; and (ii) the impact of the outage, including duration and number of electric consumers affected, and megawatts lost, because of the interruption in electric service; and (B) information that is categorized— (i) by type and size of utility; (ii) by impact of the outages; (iii) by cause of the outages; or (iv) in any other manner that the Secretary determines will make such information available and useful in the mitigation of future electricity outages. (b) Collection of data The Secretary of Energy shall promulgate a rule to require each electric utility to report to the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, information on electricity outages of the electric utility for outages that interrupt electric service resulting in a loss of more than 300 megawatts or affecting at least 50,000 electric consumers.