Connect the Grid Act

This bill would end several exemptions in the Federal Power Act that keep the Texas power grid (ERCOT) outside certain federal electricity rules, placing it under more federal regulatory authority. It would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to order a reliability standard requiring minimum power transfer capacity between ERCOT and three neighboring grid regions (SPP, MISO, and the Western Interconnection), with new or modified transmission lines finished by January 1, 2037. Transmission plans would have to prioritize things like existing rights-of-way, degraded land, renewable energy access, community outreach, and apprenticeship and prevailing wage use, and projects would be subject to federal environmental review laws. The bill would also raise a federal transmission borrowing limit from $2.5 billion to $13.5 billion and require a Department of Energy study on connecting to Mexico's power grid.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Greg Casar Democrat sponsor
• 15 cosponsors