House · HR 1047 · 119th Congress
GRID Power Act
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Summary
This bill tells a federal energy agency to change how it handles requests from power plants to connect to the electric grid. Power plants that can produce electricity on demand would get moved to higher spots in the waiting line. The rule must be finished within 180 days of the law passing.
In Favor
The bill lets grid operators move firm, dispatchable power plants up in the interconnection queue when reliability is at risk. Gas and other on-demand plants can fill capacity gaps that wind and solar cannot cover during extreme weather. FERC must approve or deny each queue change within 60 days, speeding up access to reliable power.
Against
The bill leaves out a key rule requiring queue changes to be fair and reasonable, which current law demands. That gap could let grid operators favor certain fuels and block clean projects that grids actually need most. The bill also sets no deadline for prioritized plants to come online, which may not fix reliability at all.
Additional Considerations
Purpose & Problem
Is the problem real and worth federal action?
The bill tells the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to change how it handles the waiting list for new power plants connecting to the electric grid, moving certain power sources that can be turned on and off on demand to higher spots in that line.
Scope & Related Provisions
Does it stay focused, or carry unrelated add-ons?
The bill stays focused on the grid connection waiting list process, requiring public comment, regular reporting, and five-year reviews, all tied to that core subject.
Who Is Affected
Who benefits, and who bears the cost?
Power plant developers seeking spots in the grid connection line are affected, as are transmission providers who must file proposals and reports. Electric customers and grid operators also fall under the new process the bill creates.
Cost & Funding
Is it affordable and responsibly funded?
The bill directs the Commission to write and enforce new rules, which shifts costs onto the agency and onto transmission providers that must prepare proposals, hold public comment periods, and submit regular reports. The bill does not state a dollar amount or authorize a specific funding level.
Risks & Implementation
What could go wrong in practice?
The bill gives the Commission only 90 days to start the rule and 180 days to finish it, which are tight deadlines for a federal agency process. Transmission providers must also build new proposal and reporting steps into their current operations within that same window.
For the actual bill text, see congress.gov.
AI-generated · Published 6/5/2026