Advanced Transmission Technology to Reduce Rates Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Advanced Transmission Technology to Reduce Rates Act would require the Department of Energy to establish a public advanced-transmission-technology clearinghouse within one year. The clearinghouse must list DOE projects and funding authorities and analyze effects on transmission capacity, congestion, infrastructure use, grid visibility, automation, utility and ratepayer costs, and deployment under different weather and geographic conditions. On request, DOE could help electric utilities use the clearinghouse and find financial assistance, help transmission organizations include the technologies in planning, and help State utility regulators design regulatory frameworks and cost-benefit analyses. Neither DOE nor FERC would gain authority to force a utility to adopt an advanced transmission technology.
The bill would add programs facilitating advanced-transmission deployment to the listed activities under the State Energy Conservation Program. It would also provide that DOE funding for deployment, including a loan or grant, is not a major Federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act. That exclusion can shorten or avoid environmental-impact review tied solely to the Federal funding action, while also reducing an avenue for public review of environmental effects.
Separately, the Secretary of Energy must establish voluntary bulk-power-system wildfire best practices within the Office of Electricity within one year, after consulting utilities, the electric reliability organization, and transmission organizations. The practices must address vegetation and hazardous-fuel removal along transmission lines, improved engineering, and safer operations. The bill again states that DOE and FERC receive no authority to require a utility to use the practices.
Who Benefits and How
Electric utilities, transmission planners, and State utility commissions could receive centralized performance and funding information plus requested technical assistance. Advanced-conductor, grid-enhancing, monitoring, automation, and other transmission-technology vendors could face lower planning and funding barriers. DOE loan and grant recipients could avoid major-Federal-action NEPA review for the funding decision. Ratepayers could benefit if selected technologies reduce congestion or make better use of existing infrastructure. Utilities, grid workers, and communities near transmission corridors could use the wildfire practices to reduce ignition risk.
Who Bears the Burden and How
DOE and Office of Electricity staff must build and maintain the clearinghouse, conduct cost, performance, geography, and weather analyses, respond to technical-assistance requests, and develop wildfire practices within one year. Utilities, transmission organizations, State regulators, and the reliability organization must provide information or consultation if they participate. Environmental advocates, nearby residents, and agencies that ordinarily use NEPA review lose major-Federal-action review for covered DOE financing. Utilities adopting the voluntary technologies or wildfire practices bear deployment, training, vegetation, engineering, and operating costs; the bill does not compel adoption.
Key Provisions
- Requires a public DOE advanced-transmission clearinghouse within one year.
- Authorizes requested technical assistance for utilities, transmission planners, and State regulators.
- Adds advanced-transmission deployment programs to State energy-conservation activities.
- Excludes DOE loans and grants for deployment from major-Federal-action NEPA treatment.
- Requires voluntary wildfire-mitigation practices for vegetation, engineering, and bulk-power operations without giving DOE or FERC adoption authority.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Accelerate voluntary deployment of advanced electric-transmission technology through a public DOE clearinghouse, technical assistance, State-program eligibility, a Federal funding NEPA exemption, and wildfire best practices.
Key Policy Areas
Energy, Environment, Public Safety, Federal Regulation
Primary Purpose
Accelerate voluntary deployment of advanced electric-transmission technology through a public DOE clearinghouse, technical assistance, State-program eligibility, a Federal funding NEPA exemption, and wildfire best practices.
Policy Domains
Section 3 - voluntary bulk-power wildfire best practices
Identified Gains
- Electric utilities managing transmission wildfire risk
- Transmission-line workers
- Residents near bulk-power transmission corridors
- Vegetation-management contractors
Identified Costs
- Office of Electricity wildfire-guidance staff
- Electric reliability organization consultation staff
- Transmission organizations participating in consultation
- Utilities voluntarily implementing wildfire practices
Section 2 - clearinghouse, assistance, State programs, and NEPA treatment
Identified Gains
- Electric utilities evaluating advanced transmission technology
- Transmission organizations conducting grid planning
- State utility regulatory authorities
- Advanced transmission technology manufacturers
- DOE loan and grant recipients deploying transmission technology
- Electricity ratepayers affected by transmission congestion
Identified Costs
- Department of Energy transmission-analysis staff
- Environmental agencies reviewing DOE-funded transmission projects
- Residents seeking NEPA review of covered Federal funding
- Electric utilities voluntarily deploying advanced technologies
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedOrdered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 39 …
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Mr. Goldman of Texas introduced the following bill; which was …
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Advanced transmission technology manufacturers, DOE transmission deployment funding recipients, Electric reliability organization consultation staff
Department of Energy transmission-analysis staff, Environmental agencies reviewing DOE-funded transmission projects, Office of Electricity wildfire-guidance staff
Residents near bulk-power transmission corridors
Residents seeking NEPA review of covered Federal funding
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "secretary"
- → Secretary of Energy
- "utilities"
- → Electric utilities and transmission organizations
- "commission"
- → Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- "state_regulators"
- → State regulatory authorities
- "office"
- → Office of Electricity
- "secretary"
- → Secretary of Energy
- "utilities"
- → Electric utilities and transmission organizations
- "reliability_org"
- → Electric reliability organization
Note: {'scope_ids': ['advanced_transmission_deployment'], 'description': 'DOE must create the clearinghouse, but technical assistance is provided only on request and neither DOE nor FERC may require utility adoption.'}
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
DOE funding, including a loan or grant, for deployment of advanced transmission technology.
The term as defined in section 3 of the Federal Power Act.
The term as defined in section 215(a) of the Federal Power Act.
The term as defined in section 3 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology