Grid Expansion and Reliability Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8248
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Energy
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-13: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-21T18:06:11Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Grid Expansion and Reliability Act (H.R. 8248) amends Section 216 of the Federal Power Act to streamline the process for building or upgrading electric transmission lines (high-voltage power lines that carry electricity across states) in designated "national interest electric transmission corridors." It shifts oversight from the Secretary of Energy to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and introduces a self-certification process, allowing private entities to proceed without prior federal permits if they submit basic information.
Key Provisions
- Authority Transfer: Replaces the Secretary of Energy with FERC for designating national interest corridors (areas prioritized for transmission projects due to their importance to national energy needs).
- Self-Certification Process (new subsection (b)):
- Any person or company can construct or modify a transmission facility in a designated corridor by submitting a certification to FERC, including:
- Legal name, address, and business details.
- Status (individual or corporation, including state of incorporation).
- Description of current operations and the project (including timelines).
- Table of contents for submitted documents.
- FERC must issue implementing regulations within 365 days of enactment.
- Oversight (new subsection (c)):
- FERC conducts annual audits to verify certifications contain required information.
- FERC submits annual reports to Congress on the process's effectiveness, issues encountered, and improvement recommendations.
- Other Updates:
- Simplifies eminent domain rules (subsection (e)) to apply to self-certified projects, removing requirements for "good faith efforts" with landowners.
- Removes certain DOE references and provisions (e.g., strikes original subsections (b) and (d); eliminates one subparagraph in (h)(9)).
- Adjusts interstate compact rules (subsection (i)) to focus on state disagreements over siting.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Replaces Permit System: Eliminates the prior FERC permit requirement under old subsection (b), substituting a lighter "self-certification" that presumes approval upon submission (subject to later audits).
- Agency Shift: Moves core responsibilities from the Department of Energy (DOE) to FERC throughout Section 216.
- Streamlines Requirements: Drops mandates like early stakeholder engagement for eminent domain and simplifies dispute resolution in multi-state agreements.
- Adds Accountability: Introduces mandatory annual audits and congressional reporting, absent in prior law.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases FERC's workload (regulations, audits, reports) while reducing DOE's role; may accelerate federal approvals for grid projects.
- Citizens and Communities: Could speed up transmission builds, enhancing grid reliability, renewable energy integration, and electricity access, but raises concerns over local land use without upfront consultations.
- Energy Sector: Enables faster private investment in infrastructure, potentially lowering costs and improving supply amid growing demand.
- No Direct International Effects: Focuses on domestic interstate transmission.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Transmission Developers and Utilities: Gain simplified entry to build in priority areas.
- FERC: Assumes primary regulatory and auditing duties.
- States and Local Governments: May see reduced influence over siting in federal corridors; affected by eminent domain provisions.
- Landowners and Communities: Impacted by construction without mandatory early engagement.
- Congress: Receives ongoing reports for oversight.
- Energy Consumers: Benefit from potential grid expansions supporting reliable, affordable power.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Promotes federal preemption (federal law overriding state rules) for interstate transmission under the Commerce Clause, potentially reducing state veto power but relying on post-construction audits for compliance.
- Constitutional: Supports Congress's authority over interstate commerce by facilitating national infrastructure; eminent domain changes could face challenges if seen as weakening property protections.
- Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (Reps. Gottheimer and Lawler); aims to address grid bottlenecks for energy security, but self-certification may spark debates over environmental reviews or local input (though not explicitly altered here).
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-13: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2026-04-13: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-13: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Grid Expansion and Reliability Act — issued 2026-04-13 — PDF (6 pages)