GRID Assistance Act

Bill: 118-s-4895
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2024-07-31
Policy area: Energy
Latest action: action_date: 2024-07-31
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4895 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 31, 2024 Mr. Wyden introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To establish a program to disseminate technical and other assistance to small and rural electric cooperatives to support expanding electric transmission capacity and hardening electric transmission and distribution infrastructure against cyberattacks and threats from natural hazards, with a focus on threats from wildfire, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Grid Resilience Improvement through Dedicated Assistance Act or the GRID Assistance Act . 2. Grid Assistance Program Subtitle A of title I of division D of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ( 42 U.S.C. 18711 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 40114. Grid Assistance Program (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Eligible entity The term eligible entity means— (A) a State government or the government of any political subdivision of a State; (B) a federally recognized Indian Tribe; (C) an institution of higher education; and (D) a not-for-profit organization. (2) Grid Assistant The term Grid Assistant means an individual who is trained to provide and support, on a professional basis, assistance (including technical assistance) and informed decisionmaking in the planning, financing, and implementation of electric transmission capacity expansion or the hardening of electric transmission or distribution infrastructure, including with respect to 1 or more of the following: (A) Applicable Federal funding opportunities and tax incentives. (B) Applicable State, local, and utility-based incentives, including, as appropriate, coordinating with the State energy office in that State. (C) Project financing. (D) Grant writing. (E) Community-based capacity building, including succession planning. (3) Program The term Program means the Grid Assistance Program established under subsection (b). (4) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Grid Deployment Office. (5) State energy office The term State energy office has the meaning given the term State energy agency in section 391 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act ( 42 U.S.C. 6371 ). (b) Establishment The Secretary shall establish a program, to be known as the Grid Assistance Program , under which the Secretary shall provide grants to eligible entities for the hiring, training, and retention by eligible entities of 1 or more Grid Assistants. (c) Grants (1) In general To be eligible to receive a grant under the Program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (2) Term The term of a grant provided under the Program shall be more than 3, but not more than 6, years, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate to achieve the purposes of this section. (3) Federal share The Federal share of the cost of carrying out activities under the grant shall be not more than 80 percent. (4) Priority In providing grants under the Program, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity— (A) the application under paragraph (1) of which is recommended by the director of the relevant State energy office; or (B) that serves a rural electric cooperative or utility that— (i) is owned by a subdivision of a State, such as a municipal electric utility; and (ii) operates primarily in an area at high risk of wildfires, as determined using the wildfire National Risk Index of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (d) Grid Assistants A Grid Assistant employed by an eligible entity using a grant provided under this section— (1) shall offer assistance and support described in subsection (a)(2) to not fewer than 2 rural electric cooperatives or utilities owned by a subdivision of a State (such as municipal electric utilities) served by, or in the vicinity of, the eligible entity; and (2) may provide technical assistance to the eligible entity in applying for transmission capacity expansion and transmission and distribution resilience opportunities under— (A) this Act and the amendments made by this Act; and (B) Public Law 117–169 (commonly known as the ‘Inflation Reduction Act of 2022’) (136 Stat. 1818). (e) Information sharing (1) In general The Secretary shall facilitate the sharing among Grid Assistants of information relating to best practices. (2) Information from other agencies The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Chief of Engineers, and the heads of such other Federal departments and agencies as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, shall make available to Grid Assistants information relating to other Federal incentives available to eligible entities for transmission capacity expansion and transmission and distribution resilience projects. (f) Reports to Congress Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the accomplishments of the Program, including with respect to— (1) additional transmission capacity added to the grid or transmission or distribution infrastructure hardened using assistance provided pursuant to the Program; (2) monetary savings to communities; and (3) reductions in risks relating to— (A) natural hazards, including, at a minimum, wildfires; and (B) cyberattacks. (g) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. .