Delaware County Review

Today, Congressman Troy Balderson introduced the Reliable Power Act, a legislative proposal aimed at safeguarding the reliability of America's electric grid. The bill requires federal agencies to evaluate the impact of their regulations on grid reliability before finalizing new rules. Representatives Randy Weber and Julie Fedorchak are co-sponsors.

Balderson presented the bill during an energy roundtable in Lancaster, Ohio, where he discussed Ohio's increasing power demands and challenges facing the electric grid. He emphasized his role as Chairman of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT) during this event.

"When bureaucrats focus too much on churning out new rules and regulations—and ignore the real-world impacts of their mandates—our grid’s reliability is put at risk," said Balderson. "Under the Biden Administration, federal agencies worked around the clock to push through extreme Green New Deal policies, throwing our grid into a reliability crisis. The Reliable Power Act sets clear accountability and coordination standards to ensure that federal regulations support, rather than threaten, the strength and dependability of our power system."

Balderson also praised past efforts by former President Trump and other officials for advancing American energy dominance. "Ohioans can’t afford to see this progress undone by far-left bureaucrats down the road. This legislation will help keep the lights on and ensure energy remains affordable for Ohio families," he stated.

The Reliable Power Act builds upon previous initiatives like the GRID Act by clarifying responsibilities among agencies and reinforcing FERC's central role in maintaining electric reliability.

Key aspects of this legislation include:

- Agency Coordination: Amending the Federal Power Act to mandate collaboration between FERC and any Federal agency seeking to finalize regulations affecting electric generation crucial for reliable bulk-power system operation.

- Annual Assessments: Requiring annual long-term assessments by an electric reliability organization (ERO) on bulk power system reliability. If inadequacies are found, FERC would review proposed regulations.

- Federal Accountability for Reliability: Ensuring no final rule proceeds if it significantly harms grid reliability.

Additionally, Balderson is advocating for another bill—the GRID Power Act—to expedite approval processes for projects enhancing grid reliability.

The full text of both pieces of legislation is available online.