§1492a Study of Electric Rates in the Insular Areas

Summary

Requires the Secretary to create 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 team must be set up within the Empowering Insular Communities activity (except for Puerto Rico). The team must be created not later than 180 days after December 16, 2014, except for Puerto Rico where the deadline is 270 days after June 30, 2016. The plan must use existing comprehensive energy plans where useful and give recommendations to cut fuel shipped from ports outside the United States, develop local fuel sources, and improve energy infrastructure and efficiency. The plan must also give a schedule, project priorities, a financial and engineering plan, and benchmarks to measure progress. The Secretary should consider adding regional utility organizations to the team. The team must report to the Secretary within 1 year after it is formed and then every year. Within 30 days after the Secretary gets each report, the Secretary must send a summary to the appropriate Congressional committees. The energy action plan cannot be put into action until the Secretary approves it. Definitions: comprehensive energy plan (the full plan made under other parts of the law), energy action plan (the plan the team makes), Freely Associated States (Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau), insular areas (American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands), Secretary (Secretary of the Interior, except Secretary of Energy for Puerto Rico), team (the group the Secretary sets up).