--- kind: "section" citation: "42 U.S.C. § 18712" title: "42" title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare" number: "18712" heading: "Electric grid reliability and resilience research, development, and demonstration" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/18712" units: - "Chapter 162 — Energy Infrastructure" - "Subchapter I — Grid Infrastructure and Resiliency" - "Part A — Grid Infrastructure Resilience and Reliability" --- # §18712. Electric grid reliability and resilience research, development, and demonstration - (a) **Definition of Federal financial assistance—** In this section, the term “Federal financial assistance” has the meaning given the term in section 200.1 of title 2, Code of Federal Regulations. - (b) **Energy infrastructure Federal financial assistance program—** - (1) **Definitions—** In this subsection: - (A) **Eligible entity—** The term “eligible entity” means each of— - (i) a [State](/usc/42/18791.md?p=3); - (ii) a combination of 2 or more [States](/usc/42/18791.md?p=3); - (iii) an [Indian Tribe](/usc/42/18701.md?p=2); - (iv) a unit of local government; and - (v) a public utility commission. - (B) **Program—** The term “[program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2)” means the competitive Federal financial assistance [program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2) established under [paragraph (2)](#b-2). - (2) **Establishment—** Not later than 180 days after November 15, 2021, the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) shall establish a [program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2), to be known as the “[Program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2) Upgrading Our Electric Grid and Ensuring Reliability and Resiliency”, to provide, on a competitive basis, Federal financial assistance to eligible entities to carry out the purpose described in [paragraph (3)](#b-3). - (3) **Purpose—** The purpose of the [program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2) is to coordinate and collaborate with electric sector [owners](/usc/42/13641.md?p=4) and operators— - (A) to demonstrate innovative approaches to transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure to harden and enhance resilience and reliability; and - (B) to demonstrate new approaches to enhance regional grid resilience, implemented through [States](/usc/42/18791.md?p=3) by public and rural electric cooperative entities on a cost-shared basis. - (4) **Applications—** To be eligible to receive Federal financial assistance under the [program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2), an eligible entity shall submit to the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) may require, including a description of— - (A) how the Federal financial assistance would be used; - (B) the expected beneficiaries, and - (C) in the case of a proposal from an eligible entity described in [paragraph (1)(A)(ii)](#b-1-A-ii), how the proposal would improve regional energy infrastructure. - (5) **Selection—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) shall select eligible entities to receive Federal financial assistance under the [program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2) on a competitive basis. - (6) **Cost share—** [Section 16352 of this title](/usc/42/16352.md) shall apply to Federal financial assistance provided under the [program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2). - (7) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is authorized to be appropriated to the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) to carry out this subsection, $5,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. - (c) **Energy improvement in rural or remote areas—** - (1) **Definition of rural or remote area—** In this subsection, the term “rural or remote area” means a city, town, or unincorporated area that has a population of not more than 10,000 inhabitants. - (2) **Required activities—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) shall carry out activities to improve in rural or remote areas of the United States— - (A) the resilience, safety, reliability, and availability of energy; and - (B) environmental protection from adverse impacts of energy generation. - (3) **Federal financial assistance—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3), in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) of the Interior, may provide Federal financial assistance to rural or remote areas for the purpose of— - (A) overall cost-effectiveness of energy generation, transmission, or distribution systems; - (B) siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines; - (C) reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation by rural or remote areas; - (D) providing or modernizing electric generation facilities; - (E) developing microgrids; and - (F) increasing energy efficiency. - (4) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is authorized to be appropriated to the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) to carry out this subsection, $1,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. - (d) **Energy infrastructure resilience framework—** - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3), in collaboration with the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) of Homeland Security, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the North American Electric Reliability [Corporation](/usc/42/2297h.md?p=2), and interested energy infrastructure stakeholders, shall develop common analytical frameworks, tools, metrics, and data to assess the resilience, reliability, safety, and security of energy infrastructure in the United States, including by developing and storing an inventory of easily transported high-voltage recovery transformers and other required equipment. - (2) **Assessment and report—** - (A) **Assessment—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) shall carry out an assessment of— - (i) with respect to the inventory of high-voltage recovery transformers, new transformers, and other equipment proposed to be developed and stored under [paragraph (1)](#d-1)— - (I) the policies, technical specifications, and logistical and [program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2) structures necessary to mitigate the risks associated with the loss of high-voltage recovery transformers; - (II) the technical specifications for high-voltage recovery transformers; - (III) where inventory of high-voltage recovery transformers should be stored; - (IV) the quantity of high-voltage recovery transformers necessary for the inventory; - (V) how the stored inventory of high-voltage recovery transformers would be secured and maintained; - (VI) how the high-voltage recovery transformers may be transported; - (VII) opportunities for developing new flexible advanced transformer designs; and - (VIII) whether new Federal regulations or cost-sharing requirements are necessary to carry out the storage of high-voltage recovery transformers; and - (ii) any efforts carried out by industry as of the date of the assessment— - (I) to share transformers and equipment; - (II) to develop plans for next generation transformers; and - (III) to plan for surge and long-term manufacturing of, and long-term standardization of, transformer designs. - (B) **Protection of information—** Information that is provided to, generated by, or collected by the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) under [subparagraph (A)](#d-2-A) shall be considered to be critical electric infrastructure information under section 824o–1 of title 16. - (C) **Report—** Not later than 180 days after November 15, 2021, the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) shall submit to Congress a report describing the results of the assessment carried out under [subparagraph (A)](#d-2-A). ## Source credit (Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title I, § 40103, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 928.) ## Notes ### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries ### Wage Rate Requirements For provisions relating to rates of wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics on projects for construction, alteration, or repair work funded under div. D or an amendment by div. D of Pub. L. 117–58, including authority of Secretary of Labor, see section 18851 of this title.