Keeping the Lights On Act

The Keeping the Lights On Act requires regional electricity grid operators (RTOs and ISOs) to submit annual reports detailing electricity demand, generation resources, and how extreme weather impacts supply. It establishes new "reliability markets" to ensure dispatchable power sources (like coal, nuclear, and natural gas plants) are available whenever intermittent sources (such as wind and solar) cannot meet demand, measured every 15 minutes. The bill prohibits the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from imposing environmental regulations on electricity generation and mandates that grid operators honor power wheeling contracts without diverting electricity to serve their own load. These provisions aim to enhance grid reliability during peak demand and extreme weather events by prioritizing consistent power sources.