A bill to interconnect the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to its neighbors, and for other purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 3976 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3976 To interconnect the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to its neighbors, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 3, 2026 Mr. Markey (for himself and Mr. Merkley) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To interconnect the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to its neighbors, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Connect the Grid Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: (1) Abandoned mine land.--The term ``abandoned mine land'' means land, water, or a watershed that is contaminated or scarred by extraction, beneficiation, or processing of ores or minerals (which may include phosphate, but does not include coal). (2) Brownfield site.--The term ``brownfield site'' has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601). (3) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (4) Electric reliability organization.--The term ``Electric Reliability Organization'' has the meaning given the term in section 215(a) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o(a)). (5) Environmental justice community.--The term ``environmental justice community'' means a community with significant representation of communities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal and Indigenous communities that experiences, or is at risk of experiencing, higher or more adverse human health or environmental effects. (6) ER