What does Preamble of Wildfire and Grid Reliability Act do?

This bill, formally titled '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 lines, and for other purposes,' aims to establish a grant program. The Secretary of Energy would be required to establish this grant program.

What does SHORT TITLE. of Wildfire and Grid Reliability Act do?

This bill is formally titled the Wildfire and Grid Reliability Act.

What does WILDFIRE AND GRID RELIABILITY PROGRAM. of Wildfire and Grid Reliability Act do?

This section establishes the Wildfire and Grid Reliability Program within the Office of Electricity. The Secretary of Energy will make grants to eligible entities, including electric utilities and Federal agencies, to enhance public safety and improve power grid reliability. Eligible activities include supplemental power grid-hardening efforts, undergrounding power lines, hardening overhead lines, installing protective systems, and vegetation management. Applicants must submit an application and, depending on the grant purpose, either a wildfire mitigation plan or a report on past, current, and future reliability efforts. Priority will be given to projects demonstrating the greatest community benefit relative to cost. At least 40% of grant funds are set aside for wildfire risk reduction, and at least 20% for small utilities (those selling ≤4,000,000 megawatt-hours annually). Generally, grant recipients must provide matching funds equal to 100% of the grant amount, but small utilities only need to match 1/3. The Secretary may provide technical assistance to applicants and grant recipients. The Secretary is required to submit a biennial report to Congress detailing the program's impact on grid reliability and wildfire risk reduction. The program is authorized to receive $15,000,000,000 annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2036.

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Wildfire and Grid Reliability Act

Last updated: 3/25/2026 · Introduced: 3/25/2026

Author: Ron Wyden (D-OR)

TL;DR (AI)

This bill establishes a grant program providing up to $15 billion annually to electric utilities and federal agencies for projects that harden the power grid and reduce wildfire risks.
Eligible projects include undergrounding power lines, hardening existing lines, installing protective systems, and managing vegetation, with priority given to projects demonstrating the greatest community benefit.
The program allocates at least 40% of funds for wildfire risk reduction and at least 20% for small utilities, requiring matching funds from recipients (with reduced matching requirements for small utilities).

119th Congressin committeeOfficial page

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Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 1 more.

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