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

Senate Bill

S. 3976

119th Congress

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

In Committee

Introduced:Mar 3, 2026

Primary Sponsor

Sponsor information unavailable

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Summary

This bill would require the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages most of Texas's electric grid, to connect with neighboring electric grids in other states. Currently, Texas's grid operates mostly independently from the rest of the country's power systems.

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Introduced3/3/2026

StatusRead twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

ChamberSenate

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Vote Prediction

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

This bill would require the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages most of Texas's electric grid, to connect with neighboring electric grids in other states. Currently, Texas's grid operates mostly independently from the rest of the count

Community Breakdown

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Fail

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This bill would require the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages most of Texas's electric grid, to connect with neighboring electric grids in other states. Currently, Texas's grid operates mostly independently from the rest of the country's power systems.

Bill Number: 3976
Introduced: 3/3/2026
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: A bill to interconnect the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to its neighbors, and for other purposes.
Bill Number: 3976
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced: 3/3/2026
Summary: This bill would require the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages most of Texas's electric grid, to connect with neighboring electric grids in other states. Currently, Texas's grid operates mostly independently from the rest of the country's power systems.

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill would require the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages most of Texas's electric grid, to connect with neighboring electric grids in other states. Currently, Texas's grid operates mostly independently from the rest of the country's power systems.

Last updated: 3/5/2026

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

The bill would mandate that Texas's main electric grid connect to power grids in neighboring states.
ERCOT currently operates largely isolated from the two major interstate power grids that serve the rest of the continental United States.
Connecting grids would allow Texas to buy and sell electricity with other states during emergencies or high demand periods.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for consideration.

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill would primarily affect Texas electricity customers and the state's power grid operators. By connecting to neighboring grids, Texas could access backup power during extreme weather events or equipment failures, potentially preventing widespread blackouts like those experienced during past emergencies. The change would also affect how ERCOT operates and could subject Texas's electricity market to additional federal oversight that currently doesn't apply to its isolated system.

Policy Areas

No policy areas assigned yet.

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

3976, 119th Congress (2026). "A bill to interconnect the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to its neighbors, and for other purposes.". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/119-s-3976

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