Bill > HR7728

This bill, titled the "Connect the Grid Act," aims to improve the interconnection of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the Texas power grid, with neighboring power grids. It proposes to remove certain exemptions that currently apply to ERCOT under the Federal Power Act, thereby bringing it under greater federal oversight regarding reliability standards. A key provision mandates the establishment of minimum "total transfer capability," which refers to the maximum amount of electricity that can be moved between different power grids, between ERCOT and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), and the Western Interconnection. To achieve these transfer capabilities, entities will be required to jointly submit plans for siting and constructing new transmission facilities or modifying existing ones by January 1, 2037, with a priority given to using grid-enhancing technologies, existing rights-of-way, degraded lands, and expanding access to renewable energy sources, while also ensuring meaningful community involvement and the use of registered apprenticeship programs and prevailing wages. The bill also increases the borrowing authority for the Transmission Facilitation Program and requires a study on the benefits of interconnecting with Mexico's electric grid.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7728/all-info