STRONG GRID Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Welch, Peter [D-VT]
Introduced
Summary
Advance microgrids and grid resilience by setting national rules for interconnection and resilience valuation, funding state deployment programs, and backing federal technical help and demonstrations to speed real-world microgrid use.
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- States and utilities would have to adopt regulatory frameworks for microgrid interconnection and a method to quantify resilience benefits, with a 1-year start and a 2-year finish timeline. Military installations are exempt from the resilience standards.
- State energy offices and low-income and rural communities would gain expanded eligibility under the State Energy Program and access to a new state-administered Electric Grid Resilience Program that would receive $500 million for 2027–2031 to fund planning, construction, cybersecurity, operations, and training. Administrative costs are capped at 10%.
- Project developers, utilities, universities, tribes, and local governments would be eligible for federal technical assistance and a competitive pilot grant program focused on innovative microgrid designs, DER management, cybersecurity, and multi-microgrid coordination. The pilot pot is $200 million for 2027–2031 and federal shares can cover up to 90% of project costs.
*Would increase federal spending by about $700 million for fiscal years 2027–2031.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Federal pilot grants for microgrids
This bill would require the Secretary to set up a competitive pilot grant program within 1 year to fund innovative microgrid demonstrations. The program would prioritize projects showing cybersecurity, virtual power plant aggregation, black-start capability, high renewable use, multi-microgrid coordination, and other advanced features. Federal funding could cover up to 90 percent of a project's cost. The pilot would be authorized $200 million for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. The Secretary would report to Congress within 5 years and provide annual, project-level descriptions.
State microgrid grants and expansion
This bill would require the Secretary to create a State-run Electric Grid Resilience Program within 1 year and allocate funds to State energy offices using the State Energy Program formula in effect on December 31, 2024. States would competitively award grants for needs assessments, engineering and cybersecurity, construction of generation and storage, operations and maintenance, and staff training. Grant recipients would provide at least 25 percent of project costs and States could use up to 10 percent for administration. The program would be authorized $500 million for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 and would prioritize projects that benefit rural and low-income communities.
State microgrid rules and federal help
This bill would add a federal definition of 'microgrid' and require each State regulatory authority and nonregulated electric utility to start considering interconnection and resilience valuation standards within 1 year and finish within 2 years of enactment. The standards would cover islanding, scheduling, protection, service levels, and methods to quantify and allocate resilience benefits to ratepayers. Military installations and States with comparable prior proceedings would be exempt. The bill would also direct the Secretary to provide technical assistance, best practices, workshops, and training to utilities, state offices, local governments, tribes, and colleges to support microgrid deployment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Welch, Peter [D-VT]
VT • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov