High-Capacity Grid Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6633 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6633

   To establish a best-available transmission conductor standard for
   certain transmission projects under the Federal Power Act and to
 provide for presumptions regarding cost recovery for such conductors.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 11, 2025

Mrs. Fedorchak introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To establish a best-available transmission conductor standard for
   certain transmission projects under the Federal Power Act and to
 provide for presumptions regarding cost recovery for such conductors.

    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 ``High-Capacity Grid Act''.

SEC. 2. BEST-AVAILABLE TRANSMISSION CONDUCTOR STANDARD.

    Section 205 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824d) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Best-Available Transmission Conductor Standard.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Best-available transmission conductor.--The
                term `best-available transmission conductor' means a
                transmission conductor that, as determined by the
                Commission by rule under paragraph (5)--
                            ``(i) provides the greatest feasible and
                        commercially available energy-carrying capacity
                        at a given voltage level;
                            ``(ii) provides the highest feasible and
                        commercially available electrical efficiency at
                        that voltage level; and
                            ``(iii) mitigates thermal sag at the
                        maximum rated transmission-carrying capacity of
                        the facility.
                    ``(B) Covered project.--The term `covered project'
                means--
                            ``(i) the construction of a new
                        transmission facility subject to the
                        jurisdiction of the Commission under section
                        201(b); and
                            ``(ii) any modification, upgrade,
                        replacement, or reconductoring of an existing
                        transmission line subject to such jurisdiction.
            ``(2) Presumption of prudence for best-available
        transmission conductors.--In any filing seeking to recover the
        cost of a transmission conductor for a covered project, and in
        any proceeding to determine whether such cost may be recovered
        through rates, the Commission shall presume that the use of a
        best-available transmission conductor is a prudent practice and
        that the associated costs are just and reasonable.
            ``(3) Presumption against recovery of costs for non-best-
        available conductors.--In any filing seeking to recover the
        cost of a transmission conductor for a covered project, and in
        any proceeding to determine whether such cost may be recovered
        through rates, the Commission shall presume that the use of a
        transmission conductor that is not a best-available
        transmission conductor is not prudent and that the associated
        costs are not just and reasonable.
            ``(4) Applicability.--The requirements of this subsection
        apply only to public utilities and only with respect to covered
        projects that are subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission
        under section 201(b).
            ``(5) Rulemaking.--Not later than 180 days after the date
        of enactment of this subsection, the Commission shall
        promulgate regulations to implement this subsection. In
        promulgating such regulations, the Commission shall--
                    ``(A) establish a methodology for determining
                whether a transmission conductor is a best-available
                transmission conductor for purposes of this subsection;
                    ``(B) ensure that such methodology is consistent
                with the criteria set forth in paragraph (1)(A); and
                    ``(C) provide for periodic review and updating of
                the methodology to reflect improvements in technology,
                materials, and system performance.''.
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