GRID Assistance Act

In this section:

The term eligible entity means—

(A) a State government or the government of any political subdivision of a State;

(B) a federally recognized Indian Tribe;

(C) an institution of higher education; and

(D) a not-for-profit organization.

The term Grid Assistant means an individual who is trained to provide and support, on a professional basis, assistance (including technical assistance) and informed decisionmaking in the planning, financing, and implementation of electric transmission capacity expansion or the hardening of electric transmission or distribution infrastructure, including with respect to 1 or more of the following:

(A) Applicable Federal funding opportunities and tax incentives.

(B) Applicable State, local, and utility-based incentives, including, as appropriate, coordinating with the State energy office in that State.

(C) Project financing.

(D) Grant writing.

(E) Community-based capacity building, including succession planning.

The term Program means the Grid Assistance Program established under subsection (b).

The term Secretary means the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Grid Deployment Office.

The term State energy office has the meaning given the term State energy agency in section 391 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6371).

The Secretary shall establish a program, to be known as the Grid Assistance Program, under which the Secretary shall provide grants to eligible entities for the hiring, training, and retention by eligible entities of 1 or more Grid Assistants.

To be eligible to receive a grant under the Program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

The term of a grant provided under the Program shall be more than 3, but not more than 6, years, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate to achieve the purposes of this section.

The Federal share of the cost of carrying out activities under the grant shall be not more than 80 percent.

In providing grants under the Program, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity—

(A) the application under paragraph (1) of which is recommended by the director of the relevant State energy office; or

(B) that serves a rural electric cooperative or utility that—

(i) is owned by a subdivision of a State, such as a municipal electric utility; and

(ii) operates primarily in an area at high risk of wildfires, as determined using the wildfire National Risk Index of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A Grid Assistant employed by an eligible entity using a grant provided under this section—

(1) shall offer assistance and support described in subsection (a)(2) to not fewer than 2 rural electric cooperatives or utilities owned by a subdivision of a State (such as municipal electric utilities) served by, or in the vicinity of, the eligible entity; and

(2) may provide technical assistance to the eligible entity in applying for transmission capacity expansion and transmission and distribution resilience opportunities under—

(A) this Act and the amendments made by this Act; and

(B) Public Law 117–169 (commonly known as the ‘Inflation Reduction Act of 2022’) (136 Stat. 1818).

The Secretary shall facilitate the sharing among Grid Assistants of information relating to best practices.

The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Chief of Engineers, and the heads of such other Federal departments and agencies as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, shall make available to Grid Assistants information relating to other Federal incentives available to eligible entities for transmission capacity expansion and transmission and distribution resilience projects.

Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the accomplishments of the Program, including with respect to—

(1) additional transmission capacity added to the grid or transmission or distribution infrastructure hardened using assistance provided pursuant to the Program;

(2) monetary savings to communities; and

(3) reductions in risks relating to—

(A) natural hazards, including, at a minimum, wildfires; and

(B) cyberattacks.

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.