,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #gjd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #aa1         
#bjba,mr4 ,wyden 7for himself and ,mr4  
,merkley7 introduced the following bill2
 which was read twice and referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural  
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the  
,secretary of ,energy to establish a    
grant program to improve the resiliency 
of the power grid to natural disasters  
and reduce the risk of wildfires caused 
by power lines1 and for other purposes4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,disaster ,safe ,power ,grid    
,act of #bjba4  #b4 ,matching grant     
program  7a7 ,definitions ,in this      
section3 7#a7 ,eligible entity ,the term
 eligible entity means an electric      
utility1 including-- 7,a7 a publicly    
owned electric utility2  7,b7 a         
municipal electric utility2  7,c7 a     
cooperatively owned electric utility2   
7,d7 an investor-owned electric utility2
 and  7,e7 a ,federal agency or         

federally owned corporation that is an  
electric utility 7as defined in section 
#c of the ,federal ,power ,act 7#af     
,u4,s4,c4 #gif774  7#b7 ,power line ,the
 term power line includes a transmission
 line or a distribution line1 as        
applicable4  7#c7 ,program ,the term    
program means the program established   
under subsection 7b74  7#d7 ,secretary  
,the term ,secretary means the          
,secretary of ,energy4  7b7             
,establishment ,not later than #ij days 
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,secretary shall establish    
within the ,office of ,electricity      
,delivery and ,energy ,reliability a    
program under which the ,secretary shall
 make grants to eligible entities to    
carry out activities that-- 7#a7 are    
supplemental to existing power          
grid-hardening efforts of the eligible  
entity planned for any given year2  7#b7
 are designed to enhance public safety2 
and  7#c7 7,a7 reduce the risk of any   
power lines owned or operated by the    

eligible entity causing a wildfire2 or  
7,b7 increase the resiliency of the     
power grid to withstand natural         
disasters1 such as earthquakes1 ice     
storms1 wind storms1 snow storms1 heat  
storms1 and other natural disasters4    
7c7 ,application  7#a7 ,in general ,an  
eligible entity desiring a grant under  
the program shall submit to the         
,secretary an application at such time1 
in such manner1 and containing such     
information as the ,secretary may       
require4  7#b7 ,requirement ,as a       
condition of receiving a grant under the
 program1 an eligible entity shall      
submit to the ,secretary as part of the 
application of the eligible entity under
 paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 a wildfire       
mitigation plan1 if the eligible entity 
seeks a grant for purposes of           
implementing a project or otherwise     
carrying out activities to reduce       
wildfire risk1 as described in          
subsection 7b77#c77;,a72 or  7,b7 a     
report detailing past1 current1 and     

future efforts by the eligible entity to
 improve the resiliency of the power    
grid with respect to natural disasters1 
if the eligible entity seeks a grant for
 purposes of increasing the resiliency  
of the power grid1 as described in      
subsection 7b77#c77;,b74  7d7 ,use of   
grant funds ,an eligible entity may use 
a grant provided under the program--    
7#a7 for the undergrounding of new and  
existing power lines and circuits2  7#b7
 to harden overhead power lines with    
fire resistant or more resilient        
equipment1 such as steel poles and      
covered wires2  7#c7 to replace obsolete
 overhead conductors and underground    
cables2  7#d7 to install fast-tripping  
protection systems2  7#e7 to construct  
and operate #a or more weather          
monitoring stations2  7#f7 to install   
fault location equipment or early fault 
detection equipment2  7#g7 for the      
relocation of power lines to roadways2  
7#h7 to carry out vegetation or fuels   
management activities in accordance with

 ,federal1 ,state1 and local laws       
7including regulations72  7#i7 to       
install technology or equipment to      
mitigate hazards from or to animals and 
related damage to the power grid2  7#aj7
 to install cameras1 sensors1 or other  
technology that provides real-time      
information about conditions2  7#aa7 to 
install technology to detect downed     
conductors2  7#ab7 for the installation 
of electrical facilities necessary to   
sustain targeted microgrid operations1  
including storage for the integration of
 distributed energy resources into power
 grid operations1 for the benefit of    
community resiliency following a main   
power grid outage2  7#ac7 to harden     
facilities1 substations1 and other      
systems for seismic events2 and  7#ad7  
for other1 related power grid upgrades  
to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition 
or damage from natural disasters4  7e7  
,priority ,in making grants under the   
program1 the ,secretary shall give      
priority to projects that1 in the       

determination of the ,secretary1 will   
generate the greatest community benefit 
in improving power grid resiliency to   
natural disasters or reducing the risk  
of wildfire ignition from power lines or
 equipment relative to the cost of the  
project4  7f7 ,set asides  7#a7         
,wildfire set aside ,in making grants   
under the program1 the ,secretary shall 
ensure that not less than #dj 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 risk1 as described in          
subsection 7b77#c77;,a74  7#b7 ,small   
utilities set aside ,in making grants   
under the program1 the ,secretary shall 
ensure that not less than #bj percent of
 the amounts made available to eligible 
entities under the program are made     
available to eligible entities that sell
 not more than #d1jjj1jjj megawatt hours

 of electricity per year4  7g7 ,matching
 requirement  7#a7 ,in general ,except  
as provided in paragraph 7#b71 as a     
condition of receiving a grant under the
 program1 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 #ajj      
percent of the amounts made available   
under the grant4  7#b7 ,exception for   
small utilities ,with respect to an     
eligible entity that sells not more than
 #d1jjj1jjj megawatt hours of           
electricity per year1 as a condition of 
receiving a grant under the program1 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 #a_/c of the amounts made     
available under the grant4  7#c7        
,existing efforts ,on approval by the   
,secretary1 amounts expended by an      
eligible entity on power grid resiliency
 or wildfire risk mitigation efforts    
during the #a-year period ending on the 

date on which a grant is received under 
the program shall count toward the      
matching requirement described in       
paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b71 as applicable4  
7h7 ,federal power marketing            
administrations ,any amounts made       
available to a ,federal power marketing 
administration pursuant to a grant under
 the program shall be nonreimbursable4  
7i7 ,biennial report ,not later than #b 
years after the date of enactment of    
this ,act1 and every #b years           
thereafter1 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 which1  
and the extent to which-- 7#a7 the      
resiliency of the power grid has        
increased under the program during the  
period covered by the report2 and  7#b7 
the risk of wildfires caused by power   
lines has been reduced under the program
 during the period covered by the       

report4  7j7 ,authorization of          
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to the ,secretary to    
carry out the program #aj1jjj1jjj1jjj   
for each of fiscal years #bjbb through  
#bjca4