HR3628-119

What This Bill Does

The State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act adds a new Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act standard for reliable generation. State-regulated electric utilities that use integrated resource planning must consider measures over a 10-year period to maintain reliable generation facilities or procure power from those facilities. A reliable generation facility must be able to generate continuously for at least 30 days, either with adequate fuel or a continuously available energy source on site or with contractual fuel obligations; operate during emergency and severe weather conditions; and provide essential reliability services such as frequency support and voltage support. State regulatory authorities must start consideration or set hearing dates within one year and complete consideration and make determinations within two years, unless the state already implemented, considered, or legislatively voted on a comparable standard within the relevant period. The bill also requires GAO to report within one year on how effective prior integrated resource planning was in ensuring sufficient reliable generation for reliable, stable, and affordable electric service.

Who Benefits and How

Coal-fired power plants, natural gas power plants, nuclear power plants, fuel-secure generation owners, utilities with integrated resource plans, regional grid planners, industrial electricity customers, state utility commissioners focused on reliability, consumers worried about severe-weather outages, and fuel suppliers benefit because the bill elevates 30-day dispatchable or fuel-secure generation in state planning and creates a federal benchmark for reliability services.

Who Bears the Burden and How

State utility commissions, nonregulated electric utilities, state-regulated utilities, Government Accountability Office analysts, renewable-energy developers, battery-storage developers, demand-response providers, ratepayer advocates, and electric consumers bear burdens because state proceedings must be opened, planning determinations must be made, GAO must report, non-dispatchable resources may face less favorable treatment, and customers may pay for maintaining or procuring reliable generation facilities.

Key Provisions

• Adds a PURPA standard for reliable generation in state integrated resource planning.
• Defines reliable generation by 30-day continuous operation, fuel availability, emergency-weather performance, frequency support, and voltage support.
• Requires state regulatory authorities to begin consideration or set hearings within one year.
• Requires state determinations within two years unless a comparable standard was already implemented, considered, or voted on.
• Requires GAO to report on the effectiveness of prior integrated resource planning for reliable, stable, and affordable electric service.