§18712 Electric grid reliability and resilience research, development, and demonstration

Summary

Creates a competitive federal grant program called the “Program Upgrading Our Electric Grid and Ensuring Reliability and Resiliency.” The program must be set up not later than 180 days after November 15, 2021. It gives money to eligible entities to test new ways to make transmission, storage, and distribution systems stronger and more reliable, and to try state-led, cost-shared ways to boost regional grid resilience through public and rural electric cooperatives. Eligible entities are: States; combos of 2 or more States; Indian Tribes; units of local government; and public utility commissions. Federal financial assistance means what is defined in 2 CFR 200.1. To get money, an eligible entity must apply as the Secretary requires and explain how the funds would be used, who would benefit, and, for multi-State proposals, how regional infrastructure would improve. The Secretary must pick winners by competition, and section 16352 of this title applies. Congress authorized $5,000,000,000 for this program for fiscal years 2022 through 2026. Defines a “rural or remote area” as a place with 10,000 people or fewer. The Secretary must run activities to improve energy resilience, safety, reliability, availability, and environmental protection in those areas, and may give financial help for things like cost-effective energy systems, siting or upgrading lines, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, modernizing generation, building microgrids, and boosting energy efficiency. Congress authorized $1,000,000,000 for these rural activities for fiscal years 2022 through 2026. The Secretary, working with DHS, FERC, NERC, and others, must create common tools and keep an inventory of easily moved high-voltage recovery transformers and other needed equipment. The Secretary must assess policies, technical specs, storage sites, quantities, security and maintenance, transport, design improvements, and whether new rules or cost-sharing are needed, and must review industry efforts to share equipment, develop next‑generation transformers, and plan for surge and long-term manufacturing and standardization. Information gathered is treated as critical electric infrastructure information under 16 U.S.C. 824o–1, and the Secretary must report the assessment to Congress not later than 180 days after November 15, 2021.