To establish a program to disseminate technical and other assistance to small and rural electric cooperatives to support expanding electric transmission capacity and hardening electric transmission and distribution infrastructure against cyberattacks and threats from natural hazards, with a focus on threats from wildfire, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · July 31, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
The GRID Assistance Act establishes a federal grant program to help small and rural electric utilities improve their electrical infrastructure and protect it from threats like wildfires and cyberattacks. The program will fund "Grid Assistants"—trained professionals employed by states, tribes, nonprofits, and universities—who will provide technical expertise to rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities in planning transmission expansion projects and hardening their systems against natural disasters and cyberattacks. Eligible entities can receive grants covering up to 80 percent of their costs for hiring and retaining these assistants for three to six years, with priority given to utilities serving areas at high wildfire risk and applications recommended by state energy offices. The bill authorizes $25 million annually from 2025 through 2029 to fund the program and requires the Department of Energy to report yearly to Congress on the program's results, including transmission capacity added and risk reductions achieved.
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