42 U.S.C. § 17391: Voluntary state, regional…

Summary

When a State, regional group, or electric utility asks, the Energy Secretary must help make state, regional, and local electricity distribution plans. Help includes a resource assessment of future demand and distribution needs and building publicly shared planning tools. The assessment covers physical security, cybersecurity, and communications for advanced distribution management and for integrating distributed energy resources, and uses grid-architecture methods to analyze risks to communications, control, and power systems. Information collected is treated as critical electric infrastructure information under section 824o–1 of title 16 and released only under those rules. The Secretary must offer technical help to States, regional reliability entities, and other distribution asset owners/operators. Requesters can cancel assistance anytime, and the Secretary may not require adoption of any model, tool, plan, or analysis.

Title 42, §17391

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

(a)In general

On the request of a State, regional organization, or electric utility, the Secretary of Energy shall provide assistance to States, regional organizations, and electric utilities to facilitate the development of State, regional, and local electricity distribution plans by—

(1)conducting a resource assessment and analysis of future demand and distribution requirements; and

(2)developing open source tools for State, regional, and local planning and operations.

(b)Risk and security analysis

The assessment under subsection (a)(1) shall include—

(1)the evaluation of the physical security, cybersecurity, and associated communications needs of an advanced distribution management system and the integration of distributed energy resources; and

(2)advanced use of grid architecture to analyze risks in an all-hazards approach that includes communications infrastructure, control systems architecture, and power systems architecture.

(c)Designation

The information collected for the assessment and analysis under subsection (a)(1)—

(1)shall be considered to be critical electric infrastructure information under section 824o–1 of title 16; and

(2)shall only be released in compliance with regulations implementing that section.

(d)Technical assistance

For the purpose of assisting in the development of State and regional electricity distribution plans, the Secretary shall provide technical assistance to—

(1)States;

(2)regional reliability entities; and

(3)other distribution asset owners and operators.

(e)Withdrawal

A State or any entity that has requested technical assistance under this section may withdraw the request for technical assistance at any time, and on such withdrawal, the Secretary shall terminate all assistance efforts.

(f)Effect

Nothing in this section authorizes the Secretary to require any State, regional organization, regional reliability entity, asset owner, or asset operator to adopt any model, tool, plan, analysis, or assessment.

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.

§17391 Voluntary State, Regional, and Local Electricity Distribution Planning

Summary

Title 42, §17391

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

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