Summary

Creates statutory definitions for “affordable,” “reliable,” and “clean” energy and requires the Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency to adopt those definitions into their regulations, grants, guidance, and policies. Requires the agencies to identify existing rules and guidance, publish a report to Congress and online within 90 days, update relevant materials within the next 90 days, and submit a second report within 180 days describing how they incorporated the definitions.

Key Points

• Sets legal definitions for “affordable,” “reliable,” and “clean” energy and requires federal agencies to use them.
• Defines affordable as low-cost electricity that accounts for full system costs.
• Defines reliable with a required ELCC of at least 60% and excludes intermittently or weather-dependent sources.
• Defines clean to include sources listed in the Energy Policy Act, nuclear power, and hydrocarbon combustion that meets NAAQS, explicitly including natural gas when compliant.
• Directs DOE, DOI, and EPA to identify relevant rules and guidance and publish a report within 90 days.
• Requires agencies to update related regulations, grants, guidance, and policies within 90 days after that initial report.
• Requires a follow-up report within 180 days of enactment describing how definitions were incorporated.
• Focuses on standardizing terminology across three federal agencies rather than creating new funding streams.
• May shift how federal programs classify and treat certain energy sources for grants, permitting, procurement, and planning.

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