[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4193 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4193
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a grant program to
improve the reliability of the power grid and reduce the risk of
wildfires caused by power lines, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 25, 2026
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
improve the reliability of the power grid and 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 and Grid Reliability Act''.
SEC. 2. WILDFIRE AND GRID RELIABILITY 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) Reliability.--The term ``reliability'', with respect to
the power grid, includes the ability to withstand natural
disasters, such as earthquakes, ice storms, wind storms, snow
storms, heat storms, and other natural disasters.
(5) 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 a program under which the Secretary shall make grants to
eligible entities to carry out activities that--
(1) are supplemental to existing power grid-hardening
efforts of the eligible entity planned for any given year;
(2) are designed to enhance public safety; and
(3)(A) reduce the risk of any power lines owned or operated
by the eligible entity causing a wildfire; or
(B) increase the reliability of the power grid.
(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) a wildfire mitigation plan, if the eligible
entity seeks a grant for purposes of implementing a
project or otherwise carrying out activities to reduce
wildfire risk, as described in subsection (b)(3)(A); or
(B) a report detailing past, current, and future
efforts by the eligible entity to improve the
reliability of the power grid if the eligible entity
seeks a grant for purposes of increasing the
reliability of the power grid.
(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 or
more resilient equipment, such as steel poles and covered
wires;
(3) to replace obsolete overhead conductors and underground
cables;
(4) to install fast-tripping protection systems;
(5) to construct and operate 1 or more weather monitoring
stations;
(6) to install fault location equipment or early fault
detection 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) to install technology or equipment to mitigate hazards
from or to animals and related damage to the power grid;
(10) to install cameras, sensors, or other technology that
provides real-time information about conditions;
(11) to install technology to detect downed conductors;
(12) for the installation of electrical facilities
necessary to sustain targeted microgrid operations, including
storage for the integration of distributed energy resources
into power grid operations, for the benefit of community
resilience following a main power grid outage;
(13) to harden facilities, substations, and other systems
for seismic events; and
(14) for other, related power grid upgrades to reduce the
risk of wildfire ignition or damage from natural disasters.
(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 improving
power grid reliability or reducing the risk of wildfire ignition from
power lines or equipment relative to the cost of the project.
(f) Set Asides.--
(1) Wildfire set aside.--In making grants under the
program, the Secretary shall ensure that not less than 40
percent of the total amounts made available to eligible
entities under the program are made available to eligible
entities that seek a grant for purposes of implementing a
project or otherwise carrying out activities to reduce wildfire
risk, as described in subsection (b)(3)(A).
(2) Small utilities 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 power grid
reliability or 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) Federal Power Marketing Administrations.--Any amounts made
available to a Federal power marketing administration pursuant to a
grant under the program shall be nonreimbursable.
(i) Technical Assistance and Support.--
(1) In general.--Using amounts made available to the
Secretary to carry out the program, the Secretary may--
(A) provide technical assistance to--
(i) eligible entities seeking to prepare an
application under subsection (c); and
(ii) eligible entities to which the
Secretary has provided a grant under the
program; and
(B) provide grants to eligible entities for the
hiring or retention of individuals to provide and
support, on a professional basis, assistance (including
technical assistance) and informed decisionmaking in
the planning, financing, and implementation of 1 or
more activities described in subsection (d).
(2) Treatment.--Grants under paragraph (1)(B)--
(A) shall not be counted toward a set-aside
described in subsection (f); and
(B) shall not be subject to subsection (g).
(j) 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 manner in which, and the extent
to which--
(1) the reliability of the power grid has increased under
the program during the period covered by the report; and
(2) the risk of wildfires caused by power lines has been
reduced under the program during the period covered by the
report.
(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the program $15,000,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2036.
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