Advanced Transmission Technology to Reduce Rates Act

This Act may be cited as the “Advanced Transmission Technology to Reduce Rates Act”.

(a) Clearinghouse; technical assistance.— Section 1223 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16422) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(c) Clearinghouse; technical assistance.—

(1) Clearinghouse for advanced transmission technology.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall establish and maintain a publicly available clearinghouse that includes—

(A) a list of projects, and activities, carried out or funded by the Department relating to advanced transmission technology;

(B) a list of authorities relating to financial assistance available for the deployment of advanced transmission technology;

(C) analyses of the effects of deploying advanced transmission technology on the efficient transmission of electricity, including analyses of any—

(i) expanded transmission capacity;

(ii) reduction of transmission congestion;

(iii) optimized use of transmission infrastructure;

(iv) improvement to the visibility of the electric grid and automation of key processes relating to the transmission of electricity; and

(v) such effects due to the projects and activities described in subparagraph (A);

(D) analyses of any costs and benefits accrued to electric utilities and ratepayers due to the deployment of advanced transmission technology; and

(E) analyses of how geography or weather affect the cost-effective deployment and utilization of advanced transmission technologies.

(2) Technical assistance.—

(A) Electric utilities.— Upon the request of an electric utility, the Secretary may provide technical assistance to the electric utility for the purpose of using the clearinghouse established under paragraph (1) and accessing financial assistance identified under subparagraph (B) of such paragraph.

(B) Transmission organizations.— Upon the request of a transmission organization, the Secretary may provide technical assistance to the transmission organization for the purpose of including advanced transmission technologies in the transmission planning practices of the transmission organization.

(C) State regulatory authorities.— Upon the request of a State regulatory authority, the Secretary may provide technical assistance to the State regulatory authority for the purpose of developing a regulatory framework for advanced transmission technologies in the applicable State and carrying out a cost-benefit analysis of the deployment and utilization of advanced transmission technologies in the applicable State.

(3) Definitions.— In this subsection:

(A) Electric utility.— The term electric utility has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796).

(B) Transmission organization.— The term transmission organization has the meaning given such term in section 215(a) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)).

(C) State regulatory authority.— The term State regulatory authority has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2602).

(4) Savings.— Nothing in this subsection provides authority for the Secretary or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to require an electric utility to use any advanced transmission technology.”.

(b) State energy conservation plans.— Section 362(d) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6322(d)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (17), by striking “and” at the end;

(2) in paragraph (18), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(19) programs to facilitate the deployment of advanced transmission technology (as such term is defined in section 1223 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16422)).”.

(c) Exemption of actions relating to advanced transmission technology from NEPA.—

(1) Exemption.— A covered action may not be considered a major Federal action under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).

(2) Covered action defined.— In this section, the term covered action means the provision of funding by the Secretary, including a loan or a grant, for the deployment of advanced transmission technology (as such term is defined in section 1223(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16422(a))).

(a) In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall establish, within the Office of Electricity and in consultation with electric utilities, the electric reliability organization, and transmission organizations, best practices that electric utilities may use to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition from the bulk-power system.

(b) Required inclusions.— The best practices established pursuant to subsection (a) shall include practices for—

(1) vegetation management and removal of forest-hazardous fuels along transmission lines;

(2) improved engineering approaches to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition from the bulk-power system; and

(3) safer operational practices to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition from the bulk-power system.

(c) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) Bulk-power system.— The term bulk-power system has the meaning given such term in section 215(a) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)).

(2) Electric reliability organization.— The term electric reliability organization has the meaning given such term in section 215(a) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)).

(3) Electric utility.— The term electric utility has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796).

(4) Transmission organization.— The term transmission organization has the meaning given such term in section 215(a) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)).

(d) Savings.— Nothing in this section provides authority for the Secretary or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to require an electric utility to use any best practice established pursuant to subsection (a).