Sens. Cornyn and Padilla Introduce POWER ON Act to Protect Electric Grid From Outages
The POWER ON Act of 2026 was recently introduced in the Senate and sent to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for review. The bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and is waiting for committee action. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
This bill has support from both parties and updates a popular program that already exists. It addresses a major concern for voters in states prone to extreme weather.
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
A bipartisan proposal from U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and John Cornyn would reauthorize the federal Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program. The bill, known as the POWER ON Act of 2026, seeks to continue the $5 billion program authorized in 2021 to prevent blackouts and wildfires.
The new legislation would continue the Department of Energy's grid weatherization program through 2031. Local officials in fire-prone areas like Santee are monitoring the bill, which provides funding to states and utilities to upgrade equipment and prevent small problems from becoming blackouts.
The House passed a package of bills including the SECURE Grid Act and reauthorizations for grid resilience. The legislation builds on the POWER ON Act's record of modernizing critical infrastructure to handle extreme weather and cyber threats, ensuring reliable energy for families and businesses.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
POWER ON Act of 2026
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