[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4140 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4140
To require the Secretary of Energy to identify, analyze, and share
available data for the purpose of improving the reliability and
resilience of the electric grid, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 17, 2024
Mr. Heinrich (for himself, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Padilla) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Energy to identify, analyze, and share
available data for the purpose of improving the reliability and
resilience of the electric grid, 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 ``Grid Reliability and Integrated Data
Act of 2024'' or the ``GRIData Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
(a) In General.--In this Act:
(1) Customer average interruption duration index; caidi.--
In accordance with IEEE 1366, the term ``Customer Average
Interruption Duration Index'' or ``CAIDI'' means the average
number of minutes per sustained interruption experienced by
customers per year.
(2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Energy.
(3) Energy community.--The term ``energy community'' has
the meaning given the term in section 45(b)(11)(B) of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
(4) IEEE 1366.--The term ``IEEE 1366'' means the standard
published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers Standards Association entitled ``IEEE Guide for
Electric Power Distribution Reliability Indices'' and numbered
1366 (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act).
(5) Integrated resource planning.--The term ``integrated
resource planning'' means modeling and evaluating how projected
long-term electricity demands (such as electricity demands over
periods of 5, 10, 20, or more years) within a service area can
be met with a combination of electric generation resources that
best achieve desired metrics, such as metrics relating to
reliability, resilience, and cost.
(6) Momentary average interruption frequency index;
maifi.--In accordance with IEEE 1366, the term ``Momentary
Average Interruption Frequency Index'' or ``MAIFI'' means the
average number of momentary interruptions experienced by
customers per year.
(7) Momentary interruption.--
(A) In general.--In accordance with IEEE 1366, the
term ``momentary interruption'' means a brief loss of
power, as determined by the applicable electric
utility, subject to subparagraph (B).
(B) Exclusion.--The term ``momentary interruption''
does not include a loss of power lasting more than 5
minutes.
(8) Reliability.--The term ``reliability'', with respect to
the electric grid, means the ability of the electric grid or
the components of the electric grid to withstand instability,
uncontrolled events, cascading failures, or unanticipated loss
of system components.
(9) Resilience.--The term ``resilience'', with respect to
the electric grid, means the ability of the electric grid or
the components of the electric grid to adapt to changing
conditions and withstand and rapidly recover from disruptions,
including disruptions caused by extreme weather conditions or
emerging threats.
(10) Resource adequacy.--The term ``resource adequacy''
means the adequate supply and provision of electricity from
various electric generation resources to meet projected
electricity demands in a service area.
(11) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
(12) Sustained interruption.--In accordance with IEEE 1366,
the term ``sustained interruption'' means an interruption in
power service lasting more than 5 minutes.
(13) System average interruption duration index; saidi.--In
accordance with IEEE 1366, the term ``System Average
Interruption Duration Index'' or ``SAIDI'' means the average
number of minutes of sustained interruption per customer per
year.
(14) System average interruption frequency index; saifi.--
In accordance with IEEE 1366, the term ``System Average
Interruption Frequency Index'' or ``SAIFI'' means the average
number of sustained interruptions per customer per year.
(b) Disadvantaged Community; Low-Income Community; Rural Area.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall define the terms
``disadvantaged community'', ``low-income community'', and
``rural area'' for purposes of this Act.
(2) Requirement.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall take into consideration, as applicable, the
following:
(A) The definition of the term ``disadvantaged
community'' in each of--
(i) section 6001 of the Omnibus Public Land
Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 1015); and
(ii) section 50121(d) of Public Law 117-169
(commonly known as the ``Inflation Reduction
Act of 2022'') (42 U.S.C. 18795(d)).
(B) The definition of the term ``low-income
community'' in each of--
(i) section 11406(a) of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act (23 U.S.C. 149 note;
Public Law 117-58); and
(ii) section 45D(e) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986.
(C) The definition of the term ``rural area'' in
each of--
(i) section 609(a) of the Public Utility
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C.
918c(a));
(ii) section 343(a) of the Consolidated
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
1991(a)); and
(iii) section 6702(a) of title 49, United
States Code.
SEC. 3. IDENTIFICATION, ANALYSIS, AND SHARING OF DATA.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall work with appropriate
entities, as necessary, to identify, analyze, and share available data
in a manner necessary--
(1) to inform and improve the reliability and resilience of
the electric grid, especially in rural areas, low-income
communities, disadvantaged communities, and energy communities;
and
(2) to improve long-term reliability assessments, resource
adequacy models, and integrated resource planning.
(b) Data Identification and Analysis.--
(1) Reliability and resilience data.--
(A) Types of reliability and resilience data.--In
identifying and analyzing relevant data under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall consider the types
of data to be shared, including--
(i) existing IEEE 1366 reliability data and
metrics, including--
(I) the System Average Interruption
Duration Index (SAIDI);
(II) the System Average
Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI);
(III) the Customer Average
Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI);
(IV) the Momentary Average
Interruption Frequency Index (MAIFI);
and
(V) any other reliability data or
metric defined in IEEE 1366, as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate;
and
(ii) any new or modified data or metric, as
the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(B) Temporal frequency of reliability and
resilience data.--In identifying and analyzing relevant
data under subsection (a), the Secretary shall
consider--
(i) the temporal frequency of the
production or collection of that data--
(I) to inform the reporting and
dissemination of information relating
to the reliability and resilience of
the electric grid on an annual basis,
especially in rural areas, low-income
communities, disadvantaged communities,
and energy communities; and
(II) to the maximum extent
practicable, to inform customers
experiencing power outages of
anticipated recovery times on a real-
time basis, such as through the Outage
Data Initiative Nationwide (ODIN)
program of the Department; and
(ii) any other considerations relating to
the temporal frequency of the production or
collection of that data, as the Secretary
determines to be appropriate.
(C) Spatial resolution of reliability and
resilience data.--In identifying and analyzing relevant
data under subsection (a), the Secretary shall
consider--
(i) the spatial resolution of that data,
with a goal--
(I) to inform the reporting and
dissemination of information relating
to the reliability and resilience of
the electric grid on an annual basis,
especially in rural areas, low-income
communities, disadvantaged communities,
and energy communities; and
(II) to the maximum extent
practicable, to inform customers
experiencing power outages of
anticipated recovery times on a real-
time basis, such as through the Outage
Data Initiative Nationwide (ODIN)
program of the Department; and
(ii) any other considerations relating to
the spatial resolution of that data, as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(2) Weather data.--In identifying and analyzing relevant
historical or simulated future weather data required for long-
term reliability assessments, resource adequacy models, and
integrated resource planning under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall, as necessary, work with National Laboratories,
the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other agencies or
entities to consider--
(A) the type of data, which shall include
meteorological variables that have significant impact
on--
(i) generation, transmission, storage, or
distribution availability; or
(ii) electricity demand;
(B) the representativeness of the data, with a goal
to approximate actual conditions as closely as
reasonably possible with representativeness validated
and uncertainty quantified;
(C) the spatial resolution of observational data,
with a goal to provide weather data over a grid with 2
kilometer spacing or smaller;
(D) the frequency of the data, with a goal to
report weather data not less frequently than hourly,
and preferably every 15 minutes; and
(E) the duration of the data, with a goal for the
data to be--
(i) chronologically consistent, complete,
and span at least a 30-year period; and
(ii) updated periodically, as determined by
the Secretary.
(3) Potential data needs.--In identifying and analyzing
relevant data under subsection (a), the Secretary shall
consider potential future needs, including--
(A) emerging technologies that employ machine
learning or artificial intelligence for the purposes of
improving--
(i) the reliability and resilience of the
electric grid, especially in rural areas, low-
income communities, disadvantaged communities,
and energy communities; and
(ii) long-term reliability assessments,
resource adequacy models, and integrated
resource planning;
(B) the changing mix of energy generation resources
and demands on the electric grid, including energy
efficiency as a resource;
(C) the security and costs associated with
collecting and sharing those data; and
(D) ways to mitigate risks and cost impacts to
utilities associated with data collection and sharing.
(4) Methods and platforms.--In identifying and analyzing
relevant data under subsection (a) with consideration of the
factors described in paragraphs (1) through (3), the Secretary
shall consider the available methods and platforms for
acquiring and sharing the data, including--
(A) existing surveys, such as the surveys carried
out using Form EIA-861 of the Energy Information
Administration;
(B) existing data sharing platforms, such as--
(i) the Open Energy Data Initiative of the
Department;
(ii) the Outage Data Initiative Nationwide
(ODIN) program of the Department;
(iii) the U.S. Energy Atlas of the Energy
Information Administration;
(iv) the Wind Data Hub of the Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory; and
(v) the National Solar Radiation Database
of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory;
and
(C) other methods and platforms, as the Secretary
determines to be appropriate, including automated data
collection methods.
(c) Data and Information Sharing.--
(1) Report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
submit to Congress and make publicly available a report
that summarizes the findings from the activities
conducted under subsection (b).
(B) Requirement.--The report under subparagraph (A)
shall provide recommendations on the data types,
spatial and temporal resolution, collection methods,
and sharing platforms that will better assist
utilities, regulators, National Laboratories, academic
institutions, and associated agencies and entities in
improving long-term electric reliability, resilience,
resource adequacy modeling, and integrated resource
planning.
(C) Consideration of costs and security risks.--To
the extent practicable, the report under subparagraph
(A) shall consider costs and potential security risks
associated with data collection and sharing, with the
goal of minimizing costs and maximizing privacy and
security, as needed.
(2) Websites.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
identify existing websites administered by the
Department or entities funded by the Department,
including websites of the Energy Information
Administration or the National Laboratories, or
establish new websites, to share available data in a
manner identified under subsection (b) and reported
under paragraph (1).
(B) Preference.--To improve accessibility and
standardization, the Secretary, in carrying out
subparagraph (A), shall give preference to fewer
centralized and integrated websites with appropriate
links and references, as necessary, rather than to
multiple independent websites.
(C) Updates.--The websites described in
subparagraph (A) shall be updated as needed, as
determined by the Secretary.
(d) Steering Committee.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a steering
committee comprising a group of stakeholders, including, as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate--
(A) representatives from relevant Federal agencies,
such as--
(i) the Office of Science and Technology
Policy;
(ii) the Office of Electricity of the
Department;
(iii) the Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy of the Department;
(iv) the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy
Security, and Emergency Response of the
Department;
(v) the Energy Information Administration;
and
(vi) the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission;
(B) representatives of regulators and electric
power sectors, such as--
(i) the North American Electric Reliability
Corporation;
(ii) the National Association of Regulatory
Utility Commissioners;
(iii) State utility commissioners;
(iv) grid asset owners and operators from
the investor-owned utility segment;
(v) grid asset owners and operators from
the public power segment;
(vi) grid asset owners and operators from
the cooperative segment; and
(vii) the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers; and
(C) subject matter experts.
(2) Purpose.--The steering committee established under
paragraph (1) shall help inform and guide the development and
goals of the activities carried out under subsection (a) by
identifying priorities for the identification, analysis,
sharing, and use of data under that subsection, such as--
(A) customer affordability;
(B) feasibility;
(C) the leveraging of existing capabilities to
minimize duplication of effort; and
(D) the protection of sensitive data or
information.
(3) Applicability of faca.--Chapter 10 of title 5, United
States Code (commonly referred to as the ``Federal Advisory
Committee Act''), shall not apply to the steering committee
established under paragraph (1).
(e) Responsibilities and Costs.--
(1) Collaboration.--In administering the activities
described in subsections (a) through (d), the Secretary may
work with utilities, electric cooperatives, National
Laboratories, and other agencies and entities, as the Secretary
determines to be appropriate.
(2) Avoidance of additional costs.--In administering the
activities described in subsections (a) through (d), the
Secretary shall use amounts appropriated under subsection (f)
to avoid imposing additional costs on electric cooperatives,
utilities, and assisting entities.
(3) Additional programs.--The Secretary may establish new
programs to carry out the activities described in subsections
(a) through (d), as necessary, using amounts appropriated under
subsection (f).
(4) Savings provision.--Nothing in this Act precludes a
State from continuing to collect, or adding to, specific data
required to be submitted to a State agency.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $10,000,000 for
the first fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this
Act, to remain available until expended.
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