The House will vote this week on two Republican-backed energy bills aimed at bolstering grid reliability by examining supply chain vulnerabilities and requiring states to maintain adequate on-demand power.
On the agenda are H.R. 3628, the “State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act,” sponsored by Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.), and H.R. 3638, the “Electric Supply Chain Act,” authored by Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy.
Evans’ bill is emerging as the more contentious of the two. It would require state utility regulators to ensure “reliable availability of electric energy” over a 10-year planning horizon — effectively steering utilities toward natural gas, coal and other firm, dispatchable resources. Renewable energy sources, which the bill does not categorize as “reliable,” would not qualify.
Democrats unanimously opposed the measure in the Energy and Commerce Committee in June, and only a handful of moderates are expected to support it on the House floor.
