The nation's electric grid has a backlog of power plant projects waiting to connect, and this bill pushes 'dispatchable' power (plants like natural gas, nuclear, or coal that can ramp up on demand) to the front of the line. Within six months of passage, federal energy regulators would rewrite the rules so utilities can fast-track these projects for grid reliability reasons. Renewable sources like wind and solar — not typically classified as dispatchable — could end up waiting longer. Supporters cite reliability concerns; critics say it slows the clean energy transition.
Environmental Concerns
- Interconnection queue priority for dispatchable generation — FERC required to authorize utility proposals fast-tracking gas, coal, nuclear
- Queue position for non-dispatchable generation — Wind, solar, and battery projects move down relative to fast-tracked dispatchable plants
Corporate Benefits
- Transmission-provider authority over queue ordering — Utilities may submit proposals to reposition projects, with FERC review in 60 days
Transparency & Accountability
- Public-comment requirement — Stakeholder process mandated before utility queue-priority proposals filed
- Periodic FERC review — Regulations to be reviewed every 5 years for continued effectiveness
Congressional Summary
Guaranteeing Reliability through the Interconnection of Dispatchable Power Act or the GRID Power Act This bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue and periodically review a rule that revises the approval process for interconnection requests of generating units that produce electricity to prioritize dispatchable power projects (e.g., certain fossil fuel projects). Under the bill, dispatchable power generally refers to an electric energy generation resource, such as a generating unit that produces electricity from fossil fuels, capable of providing known and forecastable electric supply in time intervals necessary to ensure grid reliability. Currently, FERC receives interconnection requests from those projects and other generating units, such as units that produce electricity from renewable energy. Interconnection requests are requests from generating units to connect to the high voltage transmission lines of the electric grid.First, the rule must address the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing procedures for processing interconnection requests to ensure that new dispatchable power projects that improve grid reliability and resource adequacy can interconnect to the electric grid quickly, cost-effectively, and reliably. Second, the rule must revise the pro forma Large Generator Interconnection Procedures, and the pro forma Large Generator Interconnection Agreement as appropriate, to authorize transmission providers to submit proposals to FERC to prioritize new dispatchable power projects that will improve grid reliability and resource adequacy by assigning those projects higher positions in the interconnection queue of the provider. FERC must review and approve or deny such proposals within 60 days after the proposal is submitted.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-02-06
- Date Added
- 2026-04-19
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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