§1492a Study of Electric Rates in the Insular Areas

Summary

Creates a team of technical, policy, and financial experts to make and help carry out an "energy action plan" for the insular areas and the Freely Associated States. The insular areas are American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. The Freely Associated States are the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The Secretary of the Interior must set up the team within 180 days after December 16, 2014, except for Puerto Rico (where the Secretary of Energy is responsible), which must set up the team within 270 days after June 30, 2016. The Secretary should consider including regional utility organizations. The team must both prepare the plan and help each place carry it out. The energy action plan must use any existing comprehensive energy plans and must include recommendations to cut reliance on fuel shipped from ports outside the U.S., develop and use domestic fuel sources, and improve energy systems and efficiency; a schedule with prioritized projects; a financial and engineering plan; and benchmarks to measure progress. The team must report to the Secretary within 1 year after it is formed and every year after that. The Secretary must send Congress a summary within 30 days of receiving the team’s report. The plan cannot be carried out until the Secretary approves it.