CHARGE Act of 2023

This bill requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to create new rules for regional and interregional transmission planning, cost allocation, and data transparency, and establishes new offices and studies to improve the electric grid. Sec. 4, Transmission planning and cost allocation: FERC must issue a final rule within 18 months establishing planning and cost-allocation processes that require transmission providers to engage in interregional and interconnection-wide planning at least every 5 years, use grid-enhancing technologies, and consider a full range of benefits like reduced costs, reliability improvements, 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 and optimize renewable energy delivery, with rates subject to just and reasonable standards. Sec. 6, Data transparency: FERC must require public utilities to make hourly operating data publicly accessible through an online database, including generation by fuel type, hourly marginal greenhouse gas emissions, congestion costs, and curtailment data. $10 million is appropriated for fiscal year 2024 to develop the database. Sec. 7, Study on electricity procurement: The National Academies must conduct a study within one year on the benefits of competitive procurement of generation from independent entities and public or cooperative ownership of generation and transmission, with $5 million authorized for fiscal year 2024. Sec. 8, State subsidies: FERC is prohibited from using offer-price mitigation 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. 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 national monitor, with a Council of Transmission Monitors, to review operations, 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: FERC must require public voting in stakeholder processes, develop intervenor compensation, grant voting rights to consumer organizations, and require recording and transcription of stakeholder meetings. Sec. 14, Intervenor funding: FERC must issue a final rule within one year to provide compensation for public participation in FERC proceedings. Sec. 15, Appropriations: $200 million is appropriated to FERC for fiscal year 2024 to carry out sections 4, 5, and 10, and the amendment made by section 9.