Wildfires have been increasingly damaging the electrical grid, leaving communities without power at the worst possible time. This bill creates a new demonstration program through the Department of Energy, authorized at $10 million per year from 2026 through 2029, to fund National Laboratories working on innovative technologies to make the grid more resilient against wildfires. That includes things like better vegetation monitoring systems and technology to keep first responders safer during electrical emergencies.
Congressional Summary
Wildfire Grid Resiliency Act This bill requires the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response of the Department of Energy (DOE) to carry out a Resilience Accelerator Demonstration Program. Under the program, the office must make awards to DOE's National Laboratories for projects that demonstrate innovative technologies to improve the electric grid's resilience to wildfires, such as technologies for monitoring vegetation management or enhancing the safety of first responders who respond to electric grid emergencies.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-08-15
- Date Added
- 2026-04-06