The Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience Act of 2025

Introduced in the Senate on April 10, 2025, this bill aims to provide essential assistance for hazard mitigation for electric utilities.      Mr. LANKFORD (for himself, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. BLANTELHAL, Mr. WICKER, Mr. KIM, and Mr. MULLIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives...

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promoting Opportuni-ties to Widen Electrical Resilience Act of 2025’’ or the ‘‘POWER Act of 2025’’.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promoting Opportuni-ty to Widen Electrical Resilience Act of 2025’’ or the ‘‘POWER Act of 2025’’.

SECTION 2. ESSENTIAL ASSISTANCE

1. ESSENTIAL ASSISTANCE
2. (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b)
3. (42 U.S.C. 5170b)
4. is amended by adding at the end the following:
5. '
6. '(e) ELECTRIC UTILITIES.
7. '(1) HAZARD MITIGATION ACTIVITIES.—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.'
8. '(2) ELIGIBILITY FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.—In any case in which an electric utility facility receives assistance under this section for the emergency restoration of power, the receipt of such assistance shall not render such facility ineligible for any hazard mitigation assistance under section 406
9. for which such facility is otherwise eligible.'

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall only apply to amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act.

A PPLICABILITY

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall only apply to amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act.