Reliable Power Act
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Official Summary
Reliable Power Act This bill directs the electric reliability organization (i.e., the North American Electric Reliability Corporation) to conduct annual long-term assessments of the reliability of electric power in the bulk-power system. It also establishes a process for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to review federal regulations before they are finalized if the electric reliability organization finds that the system is at risk of not having sufficient electric generation to maintain reliability. If the electric reliability organization finds that the system does not have sufficient generation to maintain reliability, it must notify FERC that the bulk-power system is in a state of generation inadequacy. FERC must then notify the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and any other appropriate federal agencies of the generation inadequacy. Upon receiving the notice, the federal agency must provide proposed regulations that affect any generation resource in the bulk-power system to FERC for review and comment. If applicable, FERC must provide recommendations to modify the regulations. Federal agencies may not finalize such a regulation until FERC finds that it will not be likely to have a significant negative impact on the ability of the bulk-power system to supply sufficient electric energy necessary to maintain an adequate level of reliability.
GovScope Watchdog™
AI Government Intelligence™The Reliable Power Act requires the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the electric reliability organization, to conduct annual long-term assessments of the reliability of the bulk-power electric system. If NERC finds that there is insufficient electric generation to maintain system reliability, it must notify the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC then notifies the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other relevant federal agencies. These agencies must submit proposed regulations affecting generation resources to FERC for review and comment. Federal agencies cannot finalize regulations that FERC determines would likely have a significant negative impact on the bulk-power system's ability to supply sufficient electric energy necessary for reliability.
This bill establishes a formal review process involving NERC, FERC, and federal agencies to ensure that regulations do not compromise the reliability of the bulk-power electric system by limiting generation capacity.
- Mandates annual long-term reliability assessments of the bulk-power electric system by NERC.
- Requires notification to FERC and other federal agencies if generation inadequacy is identified.
- Imposes a regulatory review process where FERC evaluates and can recommend modifications to federal regulations affecting electric generation before they are finalized.
['North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)', 'Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)', 'Department of Energy (DOE)', 'Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)', 'Electric utilities and bulk-power system operators', 'Consumers relying on reliable electric power supply']
['Potential delays in finalizing federal regulations affecting electric generation due to required FERC review and recommendations.', 'Possible interagency coordination challenges among FERC, DOE, EPA, and other federal agencies.', 'Unclear funding or resource implications for NERC and FERC to conduct assessments and reviews.', 'The bill text does not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties for noncompliance with the review process.']
The bill was introduced in the House during the 119th Congress and has been received in the Senate, where it was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources as of December 18, 2025. It addresses energy policy focused on maintaining electric grid reliability through enhanced federal oversight and interagency coordination.
Hidden impact flags detected: 2
GovScope reviewed 2 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.
['Potential slowing of regulatory processes affecting electric generation due to added review steps.', 'Increased federal oversight may influence how agencies develop regulations related to energy generation.', 'Possible improvements in electric grid reliability through proactive identification and mitigation of generation inadequacies.']
The bill introduces a formal mechanism for federal regulatory coordination aimed at protecting electric grid reliability, which may increase transparency around regulatory impacts on generation capacity. However, the absence of detailed enforcement provisions and funding information could affect implementation effectiveness. Monitoring interagency compliance and the timeliness of reviews will be important for assessing the bill's impact on regulatory efficiency and grid reliability.
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