Electric Supply Chain Act
- Bill Number
- S. 3499
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Energy
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-16: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Last Updated
- 2026-03-24T12:48:03Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation, known as the Electric Supply Chain Act, directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct ongoing assessments of the supply chain for generating and transmitting electricity. The goal is to monitor vulnerabilities, support security, and inform policy through regular reporting to Congress.
Key Provisions
- Definitions: The bill defines key terms, including "generation and transmission supply chain" (covering manufacturing, workforce, and critical materials for electricity components), "foreign entity of concern," "relevant stakeholder," and others drawn from existing energy laws.
- Assessments: The Secretary must perform periodic assessments of the supply chain in consultation with stakeholders to track its status.
- Reports: A report on the latest assessment must be submitted to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce within one year of enactment, and periodically thereafter.
- Report Content Requirements: Each report must cover efforts to strengthen the supply chain; trends, risks, and vulnerabilities in components and critical materials; national and energy security considerations; barriers to U.S. manufacturing and processing capacity; domestic policies that may hinder investment; effects of reliance on foreign entities of concern; workforce challenges; emerging issues; and recommendations to address them and expand the supply chain.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill adds new, ongoing requirements to the Department of Energy Organization Act for supply chain monitoring and reporting. It does not amend or repeal prior statutes but establishes a dedicated framework for assessing electricity generation and transmission components, including critical materials and foreign dependencies.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for the Department of Energy in data collection, stakeholder coordination, and analysis.
- Citizens and Industry: May indirectly support more resilient electricity infrastructure by highlighting supply risks, potentially affecting costs, reliability, and investment decisions for utilities and manufacturers.
- International Relations: Focuses attention on dependencies on foreign entities of concern, which could influence trade, sourcing policies, or diplomatic efforts related to critical materials.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Electric utilities and grid component manufacturers.
- Entities involved in constructing generating facilities.
- Electric power system cybersecurity experts and the Electric Reliability Organization.
- Ratepayer advocacy groups and other private sector participants in the supply chain.
- Congressional committees overseeing energy policy.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The legislation operates within Congress's authority over interstate commerce and energy policy, with no apparent constitutional conflicts. It emphasizes national security aspects of energy infrastructure but remains focused on assessment rather than new regulatory mandates or funding allocations.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-16: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 2025-12-16: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Electric Supply Chain Act — issued 2025-12-16 — PDF (6 pages)