HR 164
POWER Act of 2025
Take action
Record your position on this measure.
Sign in to record your position, submit testimony, or contact your legislator.
Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Bill overview
The Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience Act (POWER Act) aims to improve the resilience of the nation’s power grid by allowing electric utilities receiving emergency assistance for power restoration to also undertake cost-effective hazard mitigation projects. This means utilities can combine efforts to restore power with measures designed to reduce future damage from disasters. The bill also clarifies that receiving emergency power assistance won’t automatically disqualify a utility from accessing other hazard mitigation funds.
Key provisions
- Allows electric utilities receiving disaster assistance to conduct hazard mitigation activities alongside power restoration.
- Expands eligibility for hazard mitigation assistance for utilities receiving Stafford Act emergency assistance.
- Specifies that receiving power restoration assistance does not preclude eligibility for FEMA Public Assistance.
- The provisions apply to appropriations made on or after the bill’s enactment.
Who is affected
- Electric Utilities
- Federal Agencies (specifically FEMA)
- Consumers of electricity
- Disaster Recovery Organizations
Notable changes
- Extends eligibility for hazard mitigation assistance to utilities receiving Stafford Act emergency funds.
- Combines power restoration and hazard mitigation efforts under a single program.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsor
Arguments in favor
Reasons to support this legislation.
No arguments in favor have been submitted.
Submit yoursArguments opposed
Reasons to oppose this legislation.
No arguments opposed have been submitted.
Submit yoursRead the latest version inline or switch to a previous version.
119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 164
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize Federal agencies to provide certain essential assistance for hazard mitigation for electric utilities, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience Act of 2025 POWER Act of 2025
or the
.
Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b) is amended by adding at the end the following:
An electric utility may carry out cost-effective hazard mitigation activities jointly or otherwise in combination with activities for the restoration of power carried out with assistance provided under this section.
The amendment made by subsection (a) shall only apply to amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act.