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Congress·Reported·3 months ago

House Committee Advances Reliable Power Act, Giving Grid Regulator Veto Power Over Agency Rules

Also known as: Reliable Power Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
✓ Review
✓ House

225–203

Senate
President

Impacts

Mixed Impacts(8)
Housing Assistance
Neutral
Renter
Neutral
Homeowner
Neutral
Snap Food Stamps
Neutral
Medicaid
Neutral
Disability Benefits
Neutral
Child Tax Credit
Neutral
Farmer Rancher
Neutral
Positive Impacts(4)
Union Member
Helps
Medicare
Helps
Chronic Illness
Helps
Physical Disability
Helps

Key Points

  • Creates a yearly long-term check of the power grid to see if we have enough plants and lines, in normal and extreme weather
  • If there is a risk of not enough power, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission alerts agencies like Energy and Environmental Protection
  • During that time, those agencies must send any draft rules that affect power plants to the commission for review first
  • The commission can suggest changes if a rule could hurt reliability, and agencies cannot finish the rule until they respond and the commission says it likely will not harm reliability
  • Aims to prevent blackouts and sudden price spikes, but could slow or change pollution rules or plant closures
EnergyEnvironmentClimate ChangeInfrastructure

Milestones

6 milestones24 actions
Dec 18, 2025Senate

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Dec 17, 2025House

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Dec 17, 2025House

On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 225 - 203 (Roll no. 347). (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H6000)

Dec 17, 2025

Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 225 - 203 (Roll no. 347).

Dec 17, 2025House

Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H6006)

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

After the bill becomes law; likely within the next yearly planning cycle

The Electric Reliability Organization starts producing an annual long-term reliability assessment that includes weather-shortfall risk and whether more generation is needed.

You may see more public warnings about future power shortfalls by region, and utilities/grid operators may use these findings to justify reliability actions.

When a future assessment finds a shortfall risk

If the long-term assessment finds the grid is at risk of not having enough generation, the Electric Reliability Organization publicly notifies FERC of “generation inadequacy.”

This triggers the bill’s special reliability review process; it can become a public signal that your region may face higher blackout risk in extreme weather.

Promptly after a generation inadequacy notice

FERC notifies the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and any other selected federal agencies that a generation inadequacy condition exists.

More federal agencies will have to consider grid reliability earlier when writing certain rules that affect power plants.

During any future rulemaking that affects power generation while inadequacy is active

Covered federal agencies must submit certain power-generation-related draft regulations to FERC for review and comment early in the process (or at least 90 days before public release if not otherwise reviewed).

Some power-plant-related rules may take longer to reach the public proposal stage, and agencies may rewrite them to avoid reliability harms.

After agencies submit covered actions to FERC

FERC issues comments and (if needed) recommended changes to prevent a significant negative reliability impact.

Federal rules that could reduce available electricity during a shortage warning may be changed, narrowed, or timed differently.

Before finalizing a covered regulation while inadequacy is active

An agency cannot finalize a covered action until it answers FERC in writing and FERC finds the action is not likely to significantly harm reliability.

This acts like a stop sign during generation shortages; it may prevent sudden rule changes that could raise blackout risk, but it may also delay pollution-control rules that affect power plants.

When a covered rule is published for public comment or finalized

FERC’s comments and the agency’s written response are published with the regulation materials for the public to read.

You can see, in plain sight, whether a rule was changed because of reliability concerns and what the agencies said back.

Vote Results

1 vote
HousePassedPassageDec 17, 2025

On Passage

225
203
Democrat
7 – 203 · 3
Republican
218 – 0 · 2
View full roll call

Related News

3 articles
E&E News by Politico·3 months ago

House GOP sets vote on bills to boost 'reliable' energy

The House will vote on legislation that would give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sweeping new authority to keep reliable energy sources on the nation's power grid. Rep. Troy Balderson's Reliable Power Act (H.R. 3616) is a direct response to surging electricity demand.

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The Hill·3 months ago

House passes bill to give FERC oversight of EPA power plant rules

The House passed the Reliable Power Act, which would require the EPA to coordinate with FERC on rules that could impact grid reliability. The bill aims to prevent regulations from forcing the premature closure of baseload power plants like coal and natural gas.

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Bloomberg Law·3 months ago

House Passes Bill Giving FERC Review of EPA Power Plant Rules

Legislation passed by the House would mandate that FERC review any federal regulations that could affect the reliability of the bulk-power system. The Reliable Power Act specifically targets the EPA's greenhouse gas standards for existing power plants.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Reliable Power Act

Bill NumberHR 3616
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionSupplemental report filed by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, H. Rept. 119-302, Part II.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(20)
R: 20

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.