Connect the Grid Act of 2026

This bill would remove exemptions in the Federal Power Act that keep the Texas electric grid run by ERCOT outside certain federal rules, placing it under more federal energy regulation. It would require federal regulators to order a reliability standard setting minimum power transfer capacity between ERCOT and neighboring grids (SPP, MISO, and the Western Interconnection), with plans due within one year and new or upgraded transmission lines completed by January 1, 2035. These plans would have to prioritize things like grid-enhancing technologies, existing rights-of-way, degraded land, renewable energy access, community outreach, and apprenticeships and prevailing wages. The bill would also raise the borrowing limit for a federal transmission program from $2.5 billion to $13.5 billion and require the Energy Department to study connecting U.S. power facilities with Mexico.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Edward J. Markey Democrat sponsor
• 1 cosponsors