# Plain Language Summary of H. RES. 1326

This resolution is essentially Congress asking the President and the Secretary of Energy to hand over documents and information about a specific problem: the country might not have enough reliable electricity generation to keep the power grid stable. The request comes from concerns raised by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, which warned in their 2022 Summer Reliability Assessment that there could be shortages of baseload power—the steady, dependable electricity that power plants run 24/7 to keep the grid functioning.

The resolution wants to know what the Energy Department plans to do about this potential shortage and how certain environmental regulations might be making the problem worse. Specifically, Congress is asking for all internal documents, emails, meeting notes, and legal opinions related to three things: first, the Energy Department's strategy to ensure we have enough reliable electricity; second, communications between the Energy Department and power grid operators about how environmental enforcement actions might force coal and other power plants to shut down prematurely; and third, how new EPA air quality rules might affect the reliability of the power system. The Secretary of Energy has 14 days to provide all this information to the House of Representatives.

In practical terms, this is a political inquiry into whether environmental regulations designed to protect air quality and manage coal waste are inadvertently threatening the stability of America's electrical grid. The resolution doesn't change any laws or require any specific actions—it's simply demanding transparency so Congress can see what conversations and plans exist within the executive branch about balancing environmental protection with keeping the lights on reliably and affordably.

Of inquiry requesting the President, and directing the Secretary of Energy, to transmit to the House of Representatives certain information relating to plans to protect baseload bulk power system generation and transmission to maintain bulk power system reliability.

Pence, Greg

 This resolution requests the President and directs the Department of Energy to provide the House of Representatives documents and information about any plans to ensure the reliability of the bulk power system in terms of electricity generation and transmission as well as the expected effects of regulations and closures on the bulk power system.