CHARGE Act of 2023

This bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue new rules for regional and interregional transmission planning, cost allocation, and minimum transfer capabilities between regions, and to increase data transparency, interconnection fairness, and oversight of transmission planning.

Sec. 4, Transmission planning and cost allocation: FERC must issue a final rule within 18 months establishing transmission planning and cost-allocation processes that require transmission providers to conduct interregional and interconnection-wide planning at least every five years, use grid-enhancing technologies, and consider a full range of benefits including cost savings, reliability, and renewable energy integration.

Sec. 5, Interregional minimum transfer requirements: FERC must issue a final rule within 18 months setting a minimum transfer capability between transmission planning regions to ensure reliability during extreme weather, optimize renewable energy delivery, and use the best available science.

Sec. 6, Data transparency: FERC must require public utilities to make hourly operating data publicly available through an online database, including generation by fuel type, marginal greenhouse gas emissions, congestion costs, and curtailment data. $10 million is appropriated for fiscal year 2024 to develop and operate the database.

Sec. 7, Study on methods of electricity procurement and development: The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine must conduct a study within one year on the benefits of competitive procurement of generation and of generation and transmission financed or owned by public entities, Tribal governments, or rural cooperatives. $5 million is authorized for fiscal year 2024.

Sec. 8, State subsidies: FERC shall not use offer-price mitigation methods to counteract the effects of State subsidies for renewable energy resources.

Sec. 9, Office of Transmission: An Office of Transmission is established within FERC to review transmission plans, coordinate transmission matters, review innovation, and oversee transmission planning activities.

Sec. 10, Interconnection: FERC must issue regulations within one year to prohibit requiring interconnection customers to exclusively fund network upgrades without reimbursement, encourage cost-sharing, and alleviate interconnection backlogs.

Sec. 11, Independent transmission monitor: FERC must require each transmission planning region to establish an independent monitor or establish a single monitor for all regions, to review efficiency, costs, and identify cost-effective alternatives.

Sec. 12, Advisory committee: FERC must establish an advisory committee within one year to make recommendations on oversight, stakeholder participation, transparency, and governance of Independent System Operators and Regional Transmission Organizations.

Sec. 13, RTO and ISO governance: Stakeholder votes must be public, FERC must require intervenor compensation processes, and stakeholder meetings must be recorded and transcribed. Freedom of Information Act applies to their activities.

Sec. 14, Intervenor funding at Office of Public Participation: FERC must issue a final rule within one year to provide compensation for public participation in proceedings.

Sec. 15, Appropriations: $200 million is appropriated for fiscal year 2024 to carry out sections 4, 5, 10, and the amendment made by section 9.