HR2986-119

What This Bill Does

The Expediting Generator Interconnection Procedures Act directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to revisit how public utilities process interconnection requests for generation and energy storage projects. The rulemaking must address existing inefficiencies so projects can interconnect quickly, cost-effectively, and reliably. It must revise the pro forma Large Generator Interconnection Procedures and, where appropriate, the Large Generator Interconnection Agreement, requiring transmission providers to use resource-specific modeling assumptions based on actual operating practices, study requests in a way consistent with the interconnection customer's risk tolerance, select cost-effective network-reliability solutions, explain assumptions and solutions to customers, use queue-management best practices such as advanced computing, automation, and standardized study criteria, and improve transparency and performance for network-upgrade construction. FERC must start the rulemaking within 180 days and finish a final rule within 18 months, while leaving transmission cost allocation under existing section 205 ratemaking authority.

Who Benefits and How

Generation project developers benefit because interconnection studies would be pushed toward faster, more transparent, and more cost-conscious processing. Energy storage developers benefit because batteries, pumped hydropower, hydrogen storage, thermal storage, flywheels, and similar technologies are expressly covered. Interconnection customers benefit from better information about modeling assumptions, network-upgrade solutions, and study criteria. Electric customers benefit indirectly if faster interconnection brings lower-cost or reliability-supporting resources onto the grid sooner.

Who Bears the Burden and How

FERC must initiate and complete a rulemaking on a fixed timeline. Transmission providers must revise study practices, queue management, customer communications, and network-upgrade transparency. Public utilities may face compliance costs from new modeling, automation, and performance-enhancing measures. Projects needing network upgrades still remain subject to existing cost-allocation rules under FERC ratemaking authority.

Key Provisions

• Directs FERC to initiate an interconnection rulemaking within 180 days.
• Requires a final rule within 18 months after enactment.
• Requires resource-specific modeling, risk-tolerance alignment, cost-effective reliability solutions, and customer-facing transparency.
• Promotes advanced computing, automation, standardized study criteria, and timely construction of network upgrades.