WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Reliable Power Act, introduced by Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12). This legislation protects America’s electric grid by requiring that federal agencies consider the impact of regulations on grid reliability before finalizing new rules.
“America is facing a reliability crisis–one made worse by the last administration’s regulatory chaos and radical climate agenda,” said Balderson. “After unelected bureaucrats spent years waging war on American energy, President Trump and his Administration have finally reined in agency overreach and restored energy dominance as a national priority. The Reliable Power puts common-sense guardrails in place so families aren’t left facing blackouts, price spikes, or uncertainty every time they flip a switch.”
“To support reliable and affordable electricity for hard-working American families, we cannot afford to take baseload power offline or burden our grid with misguided regulations that prevent delivery of 365/24/7 power to our communities,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie. “The Power Plant Reliability Act enhances the tools available to states and grid operators to keep vital power plants operational and prevent blackouts. Further, the Reliable Power Act ensures that red tape and federal rulemaking will no longer harm electric reliability, especially in communities that are at risk of potential blackouts. The ongoing reliability crisis facing our nation has been caused by Democrat policies designed to drive out baseload power in favor of wind and solar that cannot meet our current needs. Thank you to Chairman Griffith and Congressman Balderson for leading this critical legislation to strengthen our grid and lower electricity prices.”
“Reliability is a top priority for public power utilities around the country,” said Scott Corwin, President & CEO of the American Public Power Association. “The Reliable Power Act ensures public power can comply with federal rules and regulations without sacrificing the reliable electricity that powers our homes, businesses, and communities. APPA is proud to support H.R. 3616, the Reliable Power Act.”
“The federal government should give more consideration to how regulations could affect the electric grid,” said the National Rural Electrical Cooperative Association (NRECA). “The Reliable Power Act is an important step toward providing accountability for federal agency actions that could hurt electric reliability. NRECA appreciates Rep. Balderson’s work to ensure the proper role for FERC, NERC, and other agencies.”
“Given the current environment of rapidly increasing electricity demand, and the critical role that affordable and reliable electricity plays in the economy and livelihoods of all Americans, the impact of relevant agency actions should not be left to chance,” said Marty Durbin, President of the Global Energy Institute at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “FERC is the only agency with the mission and expertise to safeguard the reliability of the power grid. Therefore, it is past time to empower FERC with the ability to review and improve other agencies’ actions that have the potential to undermine electric reliability. The “Reliable Power Act” closes this loophole.”
“Our support for the Reliable Power Act is based on years of experience analyzing U.S. EPA regulations and their increasingly serious impacts on grid reliability. The Clean Power Plan 2.0 (CPP 2.0) is the most egregious of these regulations because it would have caused the premature retirement of the nation’s coal fleet during the same time period when electricity load growth is exploding because of artificial intelligence, data centers, advanced manufacturing, and electrification of the economy. Yet EPA’s analysis showed no negative impacts on the nation’s grid,” said Michelle Bloodworth, President and CEO of America's Power. “The Reliable Power Act would provide assurance that EPA rules do not undermine grid reliability or resource adequacy.”
“We are in the midst of an electricity emergency that will only become more acute with each cold stretch that hits this winter, and it’s reliable fuel sources like coal that are keeping the lights on and homes warm by serving as the leading fuel source in some regions of the country right now,” said Rich Nolan, President and CEO of the National Mining Association. “The Reliable Power Act ensures federal policy does not dig this hole deeper by sidelining affordable, dependable sources of generation. I commend Congressman Balderson for its introduction and urge the House to pass the bill.”
“Far too often, federal agencies seek to institute rules that harm baseload power generation to reduce carbon emissions, but which ultimately raise costs on ratepayers or disconnect power plants from the grid,” said Thomas Aiello, Senior Director of Government Affairs at the National Taxpayers Union. “The Reliable Power Act finally breaks such a cycle and avoids future electricity rationing.”
During the Biden-Harris Administration, federal agencies finalized rules designed to block fossil fuel development and undermine baseload power generation. For example, the so-called Clean Power Plan 2.0 imposed unattainable emissions standards on coal- and gas-fired power plants, forcing the premature closure of coal facilities and rendering future natural gas plants financially unviable. As a result, this rule would have reduced baseload generation, destabilized the electric grid, and driven up energy prices for Ohio families.
The Reliable Power Act clarifies responsibilities, streamlines agency coordination, and reinforces the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) central role in upholding electric reliability.
Key provisions of the Reliable Power Act include:
- Agency Coordination: Amends the Federal Power Act to require coordination between FERC and any Federal agency seeking to finalize a regulation that may affect electric generation necessary for the reliable operation of the bulk-power system, commonly known as the electric grid.
- Annual Assessments: The bill requires the electric reliability organization (ERO) to conduct annual long-term assessments of the reliability of the bulk power system. If the ERO determines that the bulk power system does not have sufficient generation to maintain reliability, FERC would review, comment, and recommend changes to the proposed regulations.
- Federal Accountability for Reliability: The legislation ensures that no final rule can move forward if it would cause a substantial negative impact on grid reliability.
Full text of the legislation can be found HERE.
