[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4931 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4931

  To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a grant program to 
   reduce the risk of wildfires caused by power lines, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 1, 2020

Mr. Wyden (for himself and Mr. Merkley) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a grant program to 
   reduce the risk of wildfires caused by power lines, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wildfire Resilient Power Grid Act of 
2020''.

SEC. 2. MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an 
        electric utility, including--
                    (A) a publicly owned electric utility;
                    (B) a municipal electric utility;
                    (C) a cooperatively owned electric utility;
                    (D) an investor-owned electric utility; and
                    (E) a Federal agency or federally owned corporation 
                that is an electric utility (as defined in section 3 of 
                the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796)).
            (2) Power line.--The term ``power line'' includes a 
        transmission line or a distribution line, as applicable.
            (3) Program.--The term ``program'' means the program 
        established under subsection (b).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
    (b) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish within the Office 
of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability a program under which 
the Secretary shall make grants to eligible entities to carry out 
activities that--
            (1) reduce the risk of any power lines owned or operated by 
        the eligible entity causing a wildfire;
            (2) are designed to enhance public safety; and
            (3) are supplemental to the existing wildfire risk 
        mitigation efforts of the eligible entity planned for any given 
        year.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under 
        the program shall submit to the Secretary an application at 
        such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
        the Secretary may require.
            (2) Requirement.--As a condition of receiving a grant under 
        the program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary 
        as part of the application of the eligible entity under 
        paragraph (1) a wildfire mitigation plan.
    (d) Use of Grant Funds.--An eligible entity may use a grant 
provided under the program--
            (1) for the undergrounding of new and existing power lines 
        and circuits;
            (2) to harden overhead power lines with fire resistant 
        equipment, such as steel poles and covered wires;
            (3) to install underground circuits;
            (4) to install fast-tripping protection systems;
            (5) to construct and operate 1 or more weather monitoring 
        stations;
            (6) to install fault location equipment;
            (7) for the relocation of power lines to roadways;
            (8) to carry out vegetation or fuels management activities 
        in accordance with Federal, State, and local laws (including 
        regulations);
            (9) for installation of cameras, sensors, or other 
        technology that provides real-time information about 
        conditions; and
            (10) for other, related electric grid upgrades to reduce 
        the risk of wildfire ignition.
    (e) Priority.--In making grants under the program, the Secretary 
shall give priority to projects that, in the determination of the 
Secretary, will generate the greatest community benefit in reducing the 
risk of wildfire ignition from power lines or equipment relative to the 
cost of the project.
    (f) Set Aside.--In making grants under the program, the Secretary 
shall ensure that not less than 20 percent of the amounts made 
available to eligible entities under the program are made available to 
eligible entities that sell not more than 4,000,000 megawatt hours of 
electricity per year.
    (g) Matching Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), as a 
        condition of receiving a grant under the program, an eligible 
        entity shall provide matching funds in the form of cash or an 
        in-kind contribution in an amount equal to not less than 100 
        percent of the amounts made available under the grant.
            (2) Exception for small utilities.--With respect to an 
        eligible entity that sells not more than 4,000,000 megawatt 
        hours of electricity per year, as a condition of receiving a 
        grant under the program, the eligible entity shall provide 
        matching funds in the form of cash or an in-kind contribution 
        in an amount equal to not less than \1/3\ of the amounts made 
        available under the grant.
            (3) Existing efforts.--On approval by the Secretary, 
        amounts expended by an eligible entity on wildfire risk 
        mitigation efforts during the 1-year period ending on the date 
        on which a grant is received under the program shall count 
        toward the matching requirement described in paragraph (1) or 
        (2), as applicable.
    (h) Biennial Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives a report describing the quantity by which the risk of 
wildfires caused by power lines has been reduced under the program 
during the year covered by the report.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the program $1,000,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2031.
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