,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #daic  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #be1    
#bjbf,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 reliability
 of the power grid and reduce the risk  
of wildfires caused by power lines1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,wildfire
 and ,grid ,reliability ,act4  #b4      
,wildfire and grid reliability 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 ,reliability ,the term      
reliability1 with respect to the power  
grid1 includes the ability to withstand 
natural disasters1 such as earthquakes1 
ice storms1 wind storms1 snow storms1   
heat storms1 and other natural          
disasters4  7#e7 ,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 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 reliability of the    
power grid4  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 reliability of the power   
grid if the eligible entity seeks a     
grant for purposes of increasing the    
reliability of the power grid4  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 resilience 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 reliability 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           
reliability 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 ,technical        
assistance and support  7#a7 ,in general
 ,using amounts made available to the   
,secretary to carry out the program1 the
 ,secretary may-- 7,a7 provide technical
 assistance to-- 7i7 eligible entities  
seeking to prepare an application under 
subsection 7c72 and  7ii7 eligible      
entities to which the ,secretary has    
provided a grant under the program2 and 
7,b7 provide grants to eligible entities
 for the hiring or retention of         
individuals to provide and support1 on a
 professional basis1 assistance         
7including technical assistance7 and    
informed decisionmaking in the planning1
 financing1 and implementation of #a or 
more activities described in subsection 
7d74  7#b7 ,treatment ,grants under     

paragraph 7#a77;,b7-- 7,a7 shall not be 
counted toward a set-aside described in 
subsection 7f72 and  7,b7 shall not be  
subject to subsection 7g74  7j7         
,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      
reliability 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  7k7 ,authorization of          
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to the ,secretary to    
carry out the program #ae1jjj1jjj1jjj   
for each of fiscal years #bjbg through  

#bjcf4