# 119-hr-3843: Baseload Reliability Protection Act

119-hr-3843, Baseload Reliability Protection Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Fedorchak, Julie [R-ND-At Large] (R-ND); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-22).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3843
- As of: 2026-08-22
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-3843
- Congress: 119
- Title: Baseload Reliability Protection Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-06-09
- Sponsor: Rep. Fedorchak, Julie [R-ND-At Large] (R-ND)
- Cosponsors: 26
- Policy area: Energy
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-22

## Summary

**Stops certain baseload power plants from retiring or switching fuel** in regions the grid monitor rates as at elevated or high risk of electricity shortfalls, while creating a fast exemption process and a DOE grant and loan backstop. This bill targets dispatchable units of at least 25 megawatts that feed the bulk‑power system and are not primarily intermittent renewables. - Families and consumers: Keeps at‑risk power capacity online so regions served by an RTO or ISO face fewer near‑term supply shortfalls and outages. - Plant owners and operators: Would bar retirement or fuel conversion for covered units but lets owners petition for exemptions within 90 days and seeks final agency action quickly, with a 180‑day special timeline for claims based on unprofitability. - Grid planners and federal agencies: Requires the Electric Reliability Organization to set standardized risk criteria and a probabilistic method for long‑term reliability assessments, and directs DOE to offer grants or loans from specified unobligated funds to support continued operation or replacements. *Would authorize DOE to use unobligated IIJA and related funds for grants or loans to keep covered units operating, and any loan interest would be paid into the Treasury.*

## Cosponsors (26)

- Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14] (R-TX), 2025-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goldman, Craig A. [R-TX-12] (R-TX), 2025-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11] (R-TX), 2025-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6] (R-OH), 2025-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1] (R-WV), 2025-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Balderson, Troy [R-OH-12] (R-OH), 2025-06-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Downing, Troy [R-MT-2] (R-MT), 2025-06-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6] (R-IN), 2025-06-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hill, J. French [R-AR-2] (R-AR), 2025-09-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2025-09-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Miller, Mary E. [R-IL-15] (R-IL), 2025-09-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lee, Laurel M. [R-FL-15] (R-FL), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5] (R-WA), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Haridopolos, Mike [R-FL-8] (R-FL), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Evans, Gabe [R-CO-8] (R-CO), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Houchin, Erin [R-IN-9] (R-IN), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Harrigan, Pat [R-NC-10] (R-NC), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9] (R-VA), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McDowell, Addison P. [R-NC-6] (R-NC), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Onder, Robert F. [R-MO-3] (R-MO), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Dusty [R-SD-At Large] (R-SD), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-VA-5] (R-VA), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8] (R-AZ), 2025-11-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Barr, Andy [R-KY-6] (R-KY), 2026-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Allen, Rick W. [R-GA-12] (R-GA), 2026-02-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bice, Stephanie I. [R-OK-5] (R-OK), 2026-03-26T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Pause plant retirements in at-risk grids: benefit, high. This bill would pause retirement or fuel conversion of certain big, dispatchable power plants in areas at higher grid risk. Covered areas are RTO/ISO regions the reliability group lists as elevated or high risk in its latest 10-year report. Covered units are dispatchable, 25 MW or larger, tied to t…
- Exemptions and appeals for plant owners: benefit, medium. Owners could petition FERC for an exemption within 90 days after the risk report is published. FERC would decide in 90 days, or up to 180 if unprofitability and reliability are at stake, and would refer those cases to DOE. FERC must grant an exemption if operating would cause losses, sustained fina…
- Loans and shields for covered plants: benefit, medium. DOE could use unobligated funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Public Law 117-169 to give grants or loans to referred owners. Grants could cover prudent operating costs during the ban. Loans could keep a plant running, pay for upgrades, nuclear uprates, or life-extension work,…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-979: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025
- 119-hr-703: Main Street Tax Certainty Act
- 119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act
- 119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-45: FIND Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-3843 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3843)

## Related
- [119-hr-979: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-979)
- [119-hr-703: Main Street Tax Certainty Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-703)
- [119-hr-425: Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-425)
- [119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-38)
- [119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1628)
- [119-hr-45: FIND Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-45)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3843 (as of 2026-08-22).