March 25, 2026
Mr. Wyden (for himself and Mr. Merkley) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a grant program to improve the reliability of the power grid and reduce the risk of wildfires caused by power lines, and for other purposes.
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 Wildfire and Grid Reliability Act
.
Sec. 2. Wildfire and grid reliability program
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Eligible entity
The term eligible entity means an electric utility, including—
(A)
a publicly owned electric utility;
(B)
a municipal electric utility;
(C)
a cooperatively owned electric utility;
(D)
an investor-owned electric utility; and
(E)
a Federal agency or federally owned corporation that is an electric utility (as defined in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796)).
(2) Power line
The term power line includes a transmission line or a distribution line, as applicable.
(3) Program
The term program means the program established under subsection (b).
(4) Reliability
The term reliability, with respect to the power grid, includes the ability to withstand natural disasters, such as earthquakes, ice storms, wind storms, snow storms, heat storms, and other natural disasters.
(5) Secretary
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Energy.
(b) Establishment
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish within the Office of Electricity a program under which the Secretary shall make grants to eligible entities to carry out activities that—
(1)
are supplemental to existing power grid-hardening efforts of the eligible entity planned for any given year;
(2)
are designed to enhance public safety; and
(3)
(A)
reduce the risk of any power lines owned or operated by the eligible entity causing a wildfire; or
(B)
increase the reliability of the power grid.
(c) Application
(1) In general
An eligible entity desiring a grant under the program shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(2) Requirement
As a condition of receiving a grant under the program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary as part of the application of the eligible entity under paragraph (1)—
(A)
a wildfire mitigation plan, if the eligible entity seeks a grant for purposes of implementing a project or otherwise carrying out activities to reduce wildfire risk, as described in subsection (b)(3)(A); or
(B)
a report detailing past, current, and future efforts by the eligible entity to improve the reliability of the power grid if the eligible entity seeks a grant for purposes of increasing the reliability of the power grid.
(d) Use of grant funds
An eligible entity may use a grant provided under the program—
(1)
for the undergrounding of new and existing power lines and circuits;
(2)
to harden overhead power lines with fire resistant or more resilient equipment, such as steel poles and covered wires;
(3)
to replace obsolete overhead conductors and underground cables;
(4)
to install fast-tripping protection systems;
(5)
to construct and operate 1 or more weather monitoring stations;
(6)
to install fault location equipment or early fault detection equipment;
(7)
for the relocation of power lines to roadways;
(8)
to carry out vegetation or fuels management activities in accordance with Federal, State, and local laws (including regulations);
(9)
to install technology or equipment to mitigate hazards from or to animals and related damage to the power grid;
(10)
to install cameras, sensors, or other technology that provides real-time information about conditions;
(11)
to install technology to detect downed conductors;
(12)
for the installation of electrical facilities necessary to sustain targeted microgrid operations, including storage for the integration of distributed energy resources into power grid operations, for the benefit of community resilience following a main power grid outage;
(13)
to harden facilities, substations, and other systems for seismic events; and
(14)
for other, related power grid upgrades to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition or damage from natural disasters.
(e) Priority
In making grants under the program, the Secretary shall give priority to projects that, in the determination of the Secretary, will generate the greatest community benefit in improving power grid reliability or reducing the risk of wildfire ignition from power lines or equipment relative to the cost of the project.
(f) Set asides
(1) Wildfire set aside
In making grants under the program, the Secretary shall ensure that not less than 40 percent of the total amounts made available to eligible entities under the program are made available to eligible entities that seek a grant for purposes of implementing a project or otherwise carrying out activities to reduce wildfire risk, as described in subsection (b)(3)(A).
(2) Small utilities set aside
In making grants under the program, the Secretary shall ensure that not less than 20 percent of the amounts made available to eligible entities under the program are made available to eligible entities that sell not more than 4,000,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
(g) Matching requirement
(1) In general
Except as provided in paragraph (2), as a condition of receiving a grant under the program, an eligible entity shall provide matching funds in the form of cash or an in-kind contribution in an amount equal to not less than 100 percent of the amounts made available under the grant.
(2) Exception for small utilities
With respect to an eligible entity that sells not more than 4,000,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, as a condition of receiving a grant under the program, the eligible entity shall provide matching funds in the form of cash or an in-kind contribution in an amount equal to not less than 1/3 of the amounts made available under the grant.
(3) Existing efforts
On approval by the Secretary, amounts expended by an eligible entity on power grid reliability or wildfire risk mitigation efforts during the 1-year period ending on the date on which a grant is received under the program shall count toward the matching requirement described in paragraph (1) or (2), as applicable.
(h) Federal power marketing administrations
Any amounts made available to a Federal power marketing administration pursuant to a grant under the program shall be nonreimbursable.
(i) Technical assistance and support
(1) In general
Using amounts made available to the Secretary to carry out the program, the Secretary may—
(A)
provide technical assistance to—
(i)
eligible entities seeking to prepare an application under subsection (c); and
(ii)
eligible entities to which the Secretary has provided a grant under the program; and
(B)
provide grants to eligible entities for the hiring or retention of individuals to provide and support, on a professional basis, assistance (including technical assistance) and informed decisionmaking in the planning, financing, and implementation of 1 or more activities described in subsection (d).
(2) Treatment
Grants under paragraph (1)(B)—
(A)
shall not be counted toward a set-aside described in subsection (f); and
(B)
shall not be subject to subsection (g).
(j) Biennial report
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report describing the manner in which, and the extent to which—
(1)
the reliability of the power grid has increased under the program during the period covered by the report; and
(2)
the risk of wildfires caused by power lines has been reduced under the program during the period covered by the report.
(k) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the program $15,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2036.