H.R. 3638: Electric Supply Chain Act

This bill, known as the Electric Supply Chain Act, aims to direct the Secretary of Energy to conduct periodic assessments and report on the supply chain involved in generating and transmitting electricity. The key objectives and components of the bill are outlined below:

Assessments Required

The Secretary of Energy must prepare periodic assessments which include:

• Efforts and Opportunities: Information on initiatives to strengthen, secure, and expand the electricity supply chain.
• Trends, Risks, and Vulnerabilities: Analysis of supply and demand trends, potential risks, and vulnerabilities related to components used in electricity generation and transmission.
• National and Energy Security: Consideration of factors impacting national security and energy security that relate to the supply chain.
• Barriers to Capacity Expansion: Identification of obstacles to manufacturing components domestically and processing critical materials in the U.S.
• Domestic Investment Policies: Evaluation of U.S. policies that may deter investment in the electricity supply chain.
• Foreign Dependencies: Assessment of reliance on foreign entities for components and critical materials necessary for electricity generation and transmission.
• Workforce Challenges: Analysis of workforce issues affecting the supply chain.
• Emerging Issues: Identification of new challenges in the supply chain.

Recommendations

The assessments must also include recommendations to address the identified issues and to enhance the security and expansion of the electricity supply chain.

Reporting Requirements

The Secretary is required to submit a report to Congress outlining the findings from these assessments within one year of the bill's enactment and periodically thereafter.

Definitions of Key Terms

The bill includes specific definitions of terms such as:

• Appropriate Committees of Congress: Refers to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.
• Critical Material: Specifically refers to materials deemed critical as outlined in previously established legislation.
• Electric Reliable Organization and Electric Utility: Defined based on existing laws governing electricity reliability and utilities.
• Foreign Entity of Concern: Any foreign organization identified as a risk according to the relevant Act.
• Relevant Stakeholder: Includes anyone involved in the generation, storage, transmission, or distribution of electricity or the related supply chain.

Purpose

The primary purpose of this legislation is to enhance the resilience and security of the U.S. electricity supply chain, ensuring that it can meet current and future demands while also addressing potential vulnerabilities.

Relevant Companies

None found.