Advancing GETs Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- S. 1327
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Energy
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-15: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy. Hearings held.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-16T14:48:39Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Advancing Grid-Enhancing Technologies Act of 2025 (S. 1327) aims to promote the adoption of grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) by incentivizing investments that improve the U.S. electric grid's capacity, efficiency, reliability, resilience, and safety. It does this by requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to create a financial incentive for developers, mandating better reporting on grid congestion, and directing the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide guidance and support for implementing these technologies.
Key Provisions
- Definitions:
- Grid-Enhancing Technology (GET): Hardware or software added to existing or new transmission facilities (like power lines and related systems) to provide better awareness and control for operators, increase efficiency, or boost power transfer capacity.
- Developer: The entity that pays for installing the GET.
- Commission: FERC; Secretary: Head of the DOE.
- Shared Savings Incentive for GETs (Section 3):
- FERC must issue a final rule within 18 months of enactment to implement an existing part of the Federal Power Act (Section 219(b)(3)), creating a program that returns 10-25% of the savings from a GET investment to the developer.
- The savings percentage is fixed (not varying by project) and paid out over 3 years.
- Eligibility applies to new installations on both existing and new transmission facilities, but only if expected savings over 3 years are at least 4 times the investment cost (including permitting, installation, and purchase costs).
- Exclusions: Does not apply to GETs already installed before enactment; FERC must include consumer protections.
- After 7-10 years, FERC will evaluate the program's effectiveness, considering its alignment with FERC's Order No. 1920 (a 2024 rule on long-term regional transmission planning), and decide whether to keep, revise, or end it, with public input.
- Congestion Reporting (Section 4):
- Starting 1 year after a new FERC rule (issued within 18 months), all transmission operators must submit annual reports on congestion management costs, focusing on constraints (bottlenecks) costing over $500,000.
- Reports must detail causes (e.g., physical issues or temporary disruptions), limiting factors, and planned upgrades.
- FERC will create a standard way to measure and report this data.
- FERC and DOE will analyze the data jointly if needed, produce an annual public map of congestion costs, and publish all data and the map on their websites.
- GET Application Guide (Section 5):
- Within 18 months, DOE must create a guide for utilities and developers on applying GETs, updated annually.
- DOE will provide technical assistance on request and build a "clearinghouse" database of past GET projects to share solutions and challenges.
- Authorizes $5 million in funding for fiscal year 2025 and $1 million annually from 2026 to 2036.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Builds on the Federal Power Act's existing authority for transmission incentives (Section 219) by mandating a specific "shared savings" mechanism tailored to GETs, which was not previously required or detailed.
- Introduces new mandatory annual congestion reporting and standardized metrics, expanding FERC's oversight beyond current voluntary or ad-hoc practices.
- Adds a DOE-led resource (guide and clearinghouse) for GET implementation, which does not exist in current law, to streamline adoption.
- Ties incentives to FERC's recent Order No. 1920, ensuring GETs are factored into future grid planning rules.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: FERC and DOE will face new rulemaking, reporting, analysis, and assistance duties, potentially increasing workloads but supported by authorized funding for DOE. This could lead to more data-driven grid management.
- On Citizens: May lower electricity costs through reduced congestion and more efficient grid use; consumer protections ensure savings benefits are not unfairly shifted. Improved grid reliability could reduce outages, benefiting everyday users.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though enhanced U.S. grid resilience could indirectly support energy security and exports in global clean energy markets.
- Overall, the act could accelerate GET deployment, avoiding the need for costly new infrastructure builds and supporting broader goals like renewable energy integration.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Transmission Operators and Utilities: Required to report congestion data and use the DOE guide; may benefit from reduced costs via GETs.
- GET Developers: Gain financial incentives (shared savings) to encourage investment, but must meet savings thresholds.
- Government Entities: FERC (rulemaking and evaluation) and DOE (guide, assistance, and data analysis).
- Consumers and Ratepayers: Indirectly affected through potential cost savings and grid improvements, with protections against undue burdens.
- Broader Energy Sector: Includes renewable energy developers and regional planning groups, as GETs align with long-term transmission planning.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Relies on FERC's established authority under the Federal Power Act, avoiding new regulatory overreach; the 18-month rulemaking deadlines provide clear timelines to prevent delays. The evaluation clause allows for future adjustments, promoting adaptability without locking in permanent mandates.
- Constitutional: No apparent issues, as it involves interstate commerce regulation (a federal power) and does not infringe on state rights, though states may participate via utilities.
- Political: Supports bipartisan infrastructure and energy modernization efforts (introduced by Sens. Welch and King), potentially aiding the transition to cleaner energy by making grid upgrades more affordable. The public comment and transparency requirements enhance accountability, but the sunset evaluation could spark debates on program continuation amid evolving energy policies.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-15: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy. Hearings held.
- 2025-04-08: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 2025-04-08: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Advancing Grid-Enhancing Technologies Act of 2025 — issued 2025-04-08 — PDF (11 pages)