GRID Act

Discussed grid security issues, including implementation of the mandatory cyber incident reporting legislation (included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (H.R. 2471)) by the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Administration (DHS CISA) and the need to avoid duplicative or conflicting reporting requirements. Discussed the need for DHS CISA to undertake a careful and deliberative implementation process that takes into account existing reporting mandates and to appropriately tailor reporting mandates commensurate with risk to national security. Discussed the importance of protecting the role of the Department of Energy (DOE) as the energy sectors risk management agency. Discussed H.R. 8053, the Guaranteeing Resilient Installations for Defense Act (GRID Act). Discussed industry-wide distribution transformer shortage and equipment supply chain challenges. Also discussed the need for more domestic production of electrical equipment. Discussed support for DOE temporarily waiving distribution transformer energy efficiency standards to help spread raw steel materials and increase production volumes. Discussed the strategic transformer reserve provision in section 20301 of H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act of 2022. Discussed support for amending section 4251 of S. 1260, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, to ensure that DHS works with DOE in the event of a declaration of a significant incident and to direct DHS and DOE to clarify how a significant incident declaration could impact/interact with the declaration of a grid security emergency. Discussed announcement by the Biden Administration on the Made-in-America Federal Clean Energy Procurement Program. Discussed opposition to the creation of a new must-consider requirement under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 in H.R. 4521, the America Competes Act. Discussed concerns with a draft letter to FERC on demand charges for electric vehicle (EV) chargers. Discussed electric utilities role in EV charger deployment, including the ability for the electric industry to handle new demand and the importance of working with utilities to right-size projects. Provided feedback on draft legislation on electric school buses and vehicle-to-grid charging technology. Discussed upcoming federal guidance for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula funding program and public power EV efforts. Discussed the importance of hydropower as an electricity resource for public power utilities and support for modernizing the hydropower licensing and relicensing process. Discussed the Uncommon Dialogue effort to improve the licensing and relicensing process for hydroelectric facilities. Discussed the need for the reliable delivery of natural gas for electricity generation. Discussed possible amendment to the Natural Gas Act to allow for natural gas price emergency declaration. Discussed DOEs Implementation of the DOE National Transmission Planning Study (part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), including the importance of having a public power representative and nominating a member to serve on the Study Technical Review Committee Modeling Subcommittee. Discussed transmission issues, including inter-regional transmission planning, cost allocation, siting, and permitting. Also discussed rising transmission costs for public power utilities and the need for joint ownership of transmission by public power utilities. In addition, discussed issues with the interconnection queue in certain regional transmission markets. Discussed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Transmission (RM-21-17). Discussed S. 3879, the CHARGE Act. Discussed the October Technical Conference on Transmission Planning and Cost Management (AD 22-8). Discussed the impact of MISO capacity auction results on public power utilities.