,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adje  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bj1 #bjae
 ,mr4 ,franken introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,energy and        
,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require a coordinated response to coal  
fuel supply emergencies that could      
impact electric power system adequacy or
 reliability4  #a4 ,short title  ,this  
,act may be cited as the ,severe ,fuel  
,supply ,emergency ,response ,act of    
#bjae4  #b4 ,severe fuel supply         
emergency response ,the ,federal ,power 
,act is amended by inserting after      
section #bae 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #hbdo7 the  
following3  #bae;,a4 ,emergency response
 to coal supply deficiencies  7a7       
,findings ,congress finds that--  7#a7  
electric utilities operating coal-fired 
generating units seek to maintain target
 levels of coal inventories in order to 
meet forecasted demand2  7#b7 by        
coordinating generator actions and coal 

levels with ,reliability ,coordinators1 
electric utilities seek to ensure       
adequacy and reliability for the ,bulk  
,power ,system2  7#c7 rail service      
issues have resulted in critically low  
coal inventory levels at numerous       
utilities2  7#d7 coal shortages can     
threaten the adequacy and reliability of
 electricity supplies1 and may          
jeopardize the health and safety of     
electricity consumers2  7#e7 when faced 
with declining coal inventories1        
electric utilities have taken actions to
 curtail coal-fired electricity         
production1 including by closing        
electric generating units1 in order to  
preserve coal stockpiles2  7#f7 under   
the ,federal ,energy ,administration    
,act of #aigd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gfa et    
seq471 electric utilities are required  
to file a mandatory ,electric ,emergency
 ,incident and ,disturbance ,report with
 the ,department of ,energy regarding   
fuel supply emergencies that could      
impact electric power system adequacy or

 reliability2 and  7#g7 the depletion of
 coal inventories due to rail service   
issues may constitute a fuel supply     
emergency4  7b7 ,definitions ,in this   
section3 7#a7 ,board ,the term ,board   
means the ,surface ,transportation      
,board4  7#b7 ,bulk-power system ,the   
term bulk-power system has the meaning  
given the term in section #bae4  7#c7   
,electric reliability organization ,the 
term ,electric ,reliability             
,organization has the meaning given the 
term in section #bae4  7#d7 ,form       
,,oe-#dag ,the term ,form ,,oe-#dag     
means the form entitled ,electric       
,emergency ,incident and ,disturbance   
,report and filed in accordance with the
 ,federal ,energy ,administration ,act  
of #aigd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gfa et seq474  
7#e7 ,regional entity ,the term         
,regional ,entity means an entity       
delegated authority by the ,electric    
,reliability ,organization to propose   
and enforce reliability standards in the
 region of the entity4  7#f7            

,reliability coordinator ,the term      
,reliability ,coordinator means an      
entity recognized by the ,electric      
,reliability ,organization as           
responsible for continually assessing   
transmission reliability and            
coordinating emergency operations to    
ensure the reliable operation of the    
bulk-power system4  7#g7 ,secretary ,the
 term ,secretary means the ,secretary of
 ,energy4  7#h7 ,severe fuel supply     
emergency ,the term severe fuel supply  
emergency means a coal supply deficiency
 reported to the ,department of ,energy 
on ,form ,,oe-#dag that has the         
potential to affect at least #ejj ,,mw  
of electricity generation or #ajj1jjj   
electricity customers4  7c7 ,coordinated
 response to emergencies  7#a7 ,in      
general ,the ,secretary shall lead the  
,federal response to severe fuel supply 
emergencies4  7#b7 ,duties of the       
,secretary ,on the filing of a ,form    
,,oe-#dag that reports a severe fuel    
supply emergency1 the ,secretary shall--

  7,a7 promptly investigate the         
circumstances of the severe fuel supply 
emergency2  7,b7 notify the ,board and  
the ,federal ,energy ,regulatory        
,commission of the existence of the     
severe fuel supply emergency2  7,c7     
convene a meeting with the ,board1 the  
,federal ,energy ,regulatory            
,commission1 and1 as appropriate1 the   
,electric ,reliability ,organization and
 affected ,regional ,entities and       
,reliability ,coordinators2 and  7,d7   
submit in writing to the ,board and the 
,federal ,energy ,regulatory            
,commission1 and post publicly on the   
website of the ,department of ,energy1  
recommendations for actions the ,board  
or ,federal ,energy ,regulatory         
,commission should consider to alleviate
 the severe fuel supply emergency and   
prevent recurrences of the severe fuel  
supply emergency4  7d7 ,effect on other 
laws ,nothing in this section limits any
 existing authority of any ,federal     
agency4  4