§16236 Research and development into integrating renewable energy onto the electric grid

Summary

The Secretary must, not later than 180 days after December 27, 2020, set up a research, development, and demonstration program across several program offices in the Department to help connect renewable energy to the electric grid. The program must work on three main things: forecasting to predict how much power variable sources (like wind and solar) will produce; making cost-effective, low-loss long-distance transmission lines; and developing affordable advanced technologies so variable renewables can provide needed grid services. The Secretary must coordinate this work across all relevant program offices, including the Office of Electricity. The Secretary must also look at barriers to using and selling these technologies—especially cost and other economic obstacles—and work with other groups to try to lower those barriers.