# 119-hr-7728: Connect the Grid Act

119-hr-7728, Connect the Grid Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35] (D-TX); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7728
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7728
- Congress: 119
- Title: Connect the Grid Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-02-26
- Sponsor: Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35] (D-TX)
- Cosponsors: 15
- Policy area: Energy
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**The Connect the Grid Act would _interconnect ERCOT with neighboring regional grids_ and force new transmission capacity and reliability standards to link Texas to surrounding systems.** It aims to remove long-standing ERCOT exemptions, set minimum transfer capabilities, speed construction of transmission, and boost federal financing and cross-border study requirements. - Households and communities: Would prioritize expanding access to renewables and require meaningful community involvement, including outreach to environmental justice communities and Tribal and Indigenous communities, for siting and planning. Projects are subject to the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. - Grid operators and utilities: Would expand Federal Power Act jurisdiction over ERCOT-connected entities and direct the Electric Reliability Organization to propose a reliability standard that sets minimum total transfer capability for three interconnections — ERCOT–SPP (4.3–12.6 GW), ERCOT–MISO (2.5–16.2 GW), and ERCOT–Western Interconnection (2.6–7.9 GW). The standard would require ERCOT and partners to submit a joint plan within one year and complete work by January 1, 2037. - Federal programs and labor: Would raise the Transmission Facilitation Program borrowing cap and require the Department of Energy to study the reliability, climate, and cost benefits of connecting ERCOT with Mexico, while prioritizing grid‑enhancing technologies, use of rights-of-way and degraded lands, registered apprenticeships, and prevailing wages. *Raises the Transmission Facilitation Program borrowing cap from $2.5 billion to $13.5 billion, expanding federal loan authority by $11.0 billion.*

## Cosponsors (15)

- Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14] (D-NY), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Escobar, Veronica [D-TX-16] (D-TX), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29] (D-TX), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9] (D-TX), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37] (D-TX), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30] (D-TX), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20] (D-TX), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] (D-NY), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42] (D-CA), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10] (D-FL), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (D-WA), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3] (D-IL), 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5] (D-MN), 2026-03-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (D-CA), 2026-04-13T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Federal oversight of Texas grid: mixed, high. If enacted, the bill would bring entities in the Texas grid (ERCOT) under the Federal Power Act. It would remove several ERCOT exemptions and subject those utilities and transmission groups to Commission filings and oversight. At the same time, it would narrow the Electric Reliability Organization'…
- Build and finance grid interconnections: mixed, high. If enacted, the bill would require a reliability standard that sets minimum transfer targets between Texas and neighboring grids. Targets would be: ERCOT–SPP 4.3–12.6 GW; ERCOT–MISO 2.5–16.2 GW; ERCOT–Western 2.6–7.9 GW. ERCOT and each partner would have one year to submit joint siting and construc…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act
- 119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-hr-2045: Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2025
- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-7728 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7728)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3971)
- [119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7853)
- [119-hr-2045: Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2045)
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7728 (as of 2026-04-21).