The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 17 voted 225-203 to pass a GOP-bill led by U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH) that would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to review regulations that may affect the reliable operation of the bulk-power system.
“America is facing a reliability crisis — one made worse by the last administration’s regulatory chaos and radical climate agenda,” Rep. Balderson said. “After unelected bureaucrats spent years waging war on American energy, President Trump and his administration have finally reined in agency overreach and restored energy dominance as a national priority.”
The congressman sponsored the Reliable Power Act, H.R. 3616, on May 29 alongside two original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R-ND). The bill eventually garnered a total of 20 Republican cosponsors.
“The Reliable Power puts common-sense guardrails in place so families aren’t left facing blackouts, price spikes, or uncertainty every time they flip a switch,” Rep. Balderson added.
The American Public Power Association, the National Rural Electrical Cooperative Association, the Global Energy Institute at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, America’s Power, the National Mining Association, and the National Taxpayers Union support the measure, which now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
Specifically, H.R. 3616 would amend the Federal Power Act to require coordination between FERC and any federal agency seeking to finalize a regulation that may affect electric generation necessary for the reliable operation of the nation’s electric grid.
H.R. 3616 also would require the electric reliability organization (ERO) to conduct annual long-term assessments of the reliability of the bulk power system. If the ERO determines that the bulk power system does not have sufficient generation to maintain reliability, FERC would review, comment, and recommend changes to the proposed regulations.
Among several provisions, the legislation also would ensure that no final rule could move forward if it would cause a substantial negative impact on grid reliability, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Balderson’s office.