§17390 — Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Energy must begin making voluntary model pathways to modernize the electric grid within 90 days after December 27, 2020. The work must be done with public and private partners. The pathways must give example policies states and regions can use, help update the grid and its communications, keep the grid reliable, resilient, affordable, safe, and secure, and account for different state and regional priorities and rate systems. The Secretary must also set up a steering committee within the same 90 days made up of experts from federal agencies, national labs, states and state regulators, transmission groups, the electric industry, universities, and research institutes. The pathways should support things like real‑time system awareness, better monitoring and control, data tools, clearer investment signals, more innovation and consumer choice, improved resource integration and forecasting, lower costs, and more diverse generation. The Secretary may give technical help to States, Indian Tribes, or local governments to try parts of the pathways, including pilot projects.

Title 42, §17390

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Not later than 90 days after December 27, 2020, the Secretary of Energy (in this section referred to as the “Secretary”), in consultation with the steering committee established under paragraph (3), shall initiate the development of voluntary model pathways for modernizing the electric grid through a collaborative, public-private effort that—

(A)produces illustrative policy pathways encompassing a diverse range of technologies that can be adapted for State and regional applications by regulators and policymakers;

(B)facilitates the modernization of the electric grid and associated communications networks to achieve the objectives described in paragraph (2);

(C)ensures a reliable, resilient, affordable, safe, and secure electric grid; and

(D)acknowledges and accounts for different priorities, electric systems, and rate structures across States and regions.

(2)The pathways established under paragraph (1) shall facilitate achievement of as many of the following objectives as practicable:

(A)Near real-time situational awareness of the electric system.

(B)Data visualization.

(C)Advanced monitoring and control of the advanced electric grid.

(D)Enhanced certainty of policies for investment in the electric grid.

(E)Increased innovation.

(F)Greater consumer empowerment.

(G)Enhanced grid resilience, reliability, and robustness.

(H)Improved—

(i)integration of distributed energy resources;

(ii)interoperability of the electric system; and

(iii)predictive modeling and capacity forecasting.

(I)Reduced cost of service for consumers.

(J)Diversification of generation sources.

(3)Not later than 90 days after December 27, 2020, the Secretary shall establish a steering committee to help develop the pathways under paragraph (1), to be composed of members appointed by the Secretary, consisting of persons with appropriate expertise representing a diverse range of interests in the public, private, and academic sectors, including representatives of—

(A)the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;

(B)the National Laboratories;

(C)States;

(D)State regulatory authorities;

(E)transmission organizations;

(F)representatives of all sectors of the electric power industry;

(G)institutions of higher education;

(H)independent research institutes; and

(I)other entities.

(b)The Secretary may provide technical assistance to States, Indian Tribes, or units of local government to adopt or implement one or more elements of the pathways developed under subsection (a)(1), including on a pilot basis.

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the Energy Act of 2020, and not as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 which comprises this chapter.

§17390 Voluntary model pathways

Summary

Title 42, §17390

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Citations & Metadata