State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act

This measure pushes electric utilities to plan for steady, dependable power. Utilities that do long‑term planning must include steps to keep electricity available over the next 10 years by either running reliable power plants or buying power from them. A “reliable” plant means it can run nonstop for at least 30 days, has on‑site fuel or a guaranteed fuel/energy supply, can operate during emergencies and severe weather, and supports the grid with services like frequency and voltage control.

• Who is affected: Electric utilities and state utility regulators.
• What changes: States must consider this new reliability standard and decide whether to adopt it. They must start within 1 year and finish within 2 years. States that already implemented a similar standard, held a proceeding, or had a legislative vote on it in the past 3 years don’t have to redo that process .
• When: Consideration begins within 1 year of the law taking effect; decisions are due within 2 years .