H.R. 9335

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9335 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9335

To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a clearinghouse for 
advanced transmission technology, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 18, 2026

Mr. Goldman of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish a clearinghouse for 
advanced transmission technology, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Advanced Transmission Technology to 
Reduce Rates Act''.

SEC. 2. ADVANCED TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGY.

(a) Clearinghouse; Technical Assistance.--Section 1223 of the 
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16422) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
``(c) Clearinghouse; Technical Assistance.--
``(1) Clearinghouse for advanced transmission technology.--
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
subsection, the Secretary shall establish and maintain a 
publicly available clearinghouse that includes--
``(A) a list of projects, and activities, carried 
out or funded by the Department relating to advanced 
transmission technology;
``(B) a list of authorities relating to financial 
assistance available for the deployment of advanced 
transmission technology;
``(C) analyses of the effects of deploying advanced 
transmission technology on the efficient transmission 
of electricity, including analyses of any--
``(i) expanded transmission capacity;
``(ii) reduction of transmission 
congestion;
``(iii) optimized use of transmission 
infrastructure;
``(iv) improvement to the visibility of the 
electric grid and automation of key processes 
relating to the transmission of electricity; 
and
``(v) such effects due to the projects and 
activities described in subparagraph (A);
``(D) analyses of any costs and benefits accrued to 
electric utilities and ratepayers due to the deployment 
of advanced transmission technology; and
``(E) analyses of how geography or weather affect 
the cost-effective deployment and utilization of 
advanced transmission technologies.
``(2) Technical assistance.--
``(A) Electric utilities.--Upon the request of an 
electric utility, the Secretary may provide technical 
assistance to the electric utility for the purpose of 
using the clearinghouse established under paragraph (1) 
and accessing financial assistance identified under 
subparagraph (B) of such paragraph.
``(B) Transmission organizations.--Upon the request 
of a transmission organization, the Secretary may 
provide technical assistance to the transmission 
organization for the purpose of including advanced 
transmission technologies in the transmission planning 
practices of the transmission organization.
``(C) State regulatory authorities.--Upon the 
request of a State regulatory authority, the Secretary 
may provide technical assistance to the State 
regulatory authority for the purpose of developing a 
regulatory framework for advanced transmission 
technologies in the applicable State and carrying out a 
cost-benefit analysis of the deployment and utilization 
of advanced transmission technologies in the applicable 
State.
``(3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Electric utility.--The term `electric 
utility' has the meaning given such term in section 3 
of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796).
``(B) Transmission organization.--The term 
`transmission organization' has the meaning given such 
term in section 215(a) of the Federal Power Act (16 
U.S.C. 824o(a)).
``(C) State regulatory authority.--The term `State 
regulatory authority' has the meaning given such term 
in section 3 of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies 
Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2602).
``(4) Savings.--Nothing in this subsection provides 
authority for the Secretary or the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission to require an electric utility to use any advanced 
transmission technology.''.
(b) State Energy Conservation Plans.--Section 362(d) of the Energy 
Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6322(d)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (17), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (18), by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(19) programs to facilitate the deployment of advanced 
transmission technology (as such term is defined in section 
1223 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16422)).''.
(c) Exemption of Actions Relating to Advanced Transmission 
Technology From NEPA.--
(1) Exemption.--A covered action may not be considered a 
major Federal action under section 102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)).
(2) Covered action defined.--In this section, the term 
``covered action'' means the provision of funding by the 
Secretary, including a loan or a grant, for the deployment of 
advanced transmission technology (as such term is defined in 
section 1223(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
16422(a))).

SEC. 3. BEST PRACTICES FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION.

(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall establish, within the Office 
of Electricity and in consultation with electric utilities, the 
electric reliability organization, and transmission organizations, best 
practices that electric utilities may use to reduce the risk of 
wildfire ignition from the bulk-power system.
(b) Required Inclusions.--The best practices established pursuant 
to subsection (a) shall include practices for--
(1) vegetation management and removal of forest-hazardous 
fuels along transmission lines;
(2) improved engineering approaches to reduce the risk of 
wildfire ignition from the bulk-power system; and
(3) safer operational practices to reduce the risk of 
wildfire ignition from the bulk-power system.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Bulk-power system.--The term ``bulk-power system'' has 
the meaning given such term in section 215(a) of the Federal 
Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)).
(2) Electric reliability organization.--The term ``electric 
reliability organization'' has the meaning given such term in 
section 215(a) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)).
(3) Electric utility.--The term ``electric utility'' has 
the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Federal Power 
Act (16 U.S.C. 796).
(4) Transmission organization.--The term ``transmission 
organization'' has the meaning given such term in section 
215(a) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)).
(d) Savings.--Nothing in this section provides authority for the 
Secretary or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to require an 
electric utility to use any best practice established pursuant to 
subsection (a).
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