S. 1213 · 114th Congress
Free Market Energy Act of 2015
Key: what the circles and colors mean
Each circle is a bill. The ring fills as it moves through Congress:
Under the number: the Yea · Nay count of its final (or latest) recorded vote. On a member's page, the small badge is how that member voted: Y Yea / Aye, N Nay / No, P Present, – Not voting.
Gold and violet are only for Yea and Nay; they never mean a party. A member's party is the letter on their photo.
Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 114th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
I
KingSponsorNo cosponsors.
This bill amends the Federal Power Act to identify the elements of a distributed energy resource, including fuel cells, microgrids, and combined heat and power systems.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · May 6, 2015
Free Market Energy Act of 2015
This bill amends the Federal Power Act to identify the elements of a distributed energy resource, including fuel cells, microgrids, and combined heat and power systems.
Distributed energy resources shall have a general right of interconnection under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA), and all rates and fees for interconnection shall provide for the two-way benefit for the distributed energy resource and the electricity grid.
Each state regulatory authority shall consider requiring that distributed energy resources be eligible to receive just and reasonable energy and rate treatment for time-of-use pricing and other specified features and values.
A state regulatory authority or nonregulated electric utility acting under state authority must consider specified interconnections standards that include:
- setting rates that exceed the incremental cost of alternative electric energy for purchases from any distributed energy resource that is a qualifying facility for electricity generated, demand reduced, or service provided by the qualifying facility interconnected under this Act; and
- making any distributed energy resource project exempt from filing requirements with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
A state regulatory authority must also consider:
- designation, through a competitive process, of a regulated utility, other party, or a combination of regulated utilities and other parties to be a smart grid coordinator or distribution system operator for the state; and
- nontransmission alternatives when a regulated utility proposes transmission projects.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Free Market Energy Act of 2015
Latest action (May 14, 2015): Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
Policy area: Energy · Origin: Senate · Introduced: May 6, 2015
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.