Congressman Pat Harrigan Votes to Strengthen America’s Power Grid and Prevent Unplanned Shutdowns

Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10) voted to pass H.R. 3632, the Power Plant Reliability Act of 2025, legislation that improves transparency and planning across the electric grid by requiring advance notice before major power plants are retired or taken offline. The bill is designed to prevent sudden losses of generation capacity that can strain the grid, increase costs, or raise the risk of outages for families and small businesses.

"When power plants shut down without warning, it puts the entire grid at risk," said Congressman Harrigan. "This bill makes sure regulators and grid operators aren't finding out after the fact. If a plant is coming offline, we should understand the impact ahead of time and make sure families and businesses aren't left dealing with the consequences."

The Power Plant Reliability Act requires owners of large electric generating units to notify grid operators and federal regulators before retiring facilities that supply electricity to the bulk power system. It strengthens coordination between the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and reliability authorities so they can assess whether a shutdown could threaten service, particularly during periods of high demand or extreme weather, and determine whether additional steps are needed to maintain reliability.

With House passage, the Power Plant Reliability Act now moves to the Senate. Congressman Harrigan is urging timely action to improve grid reliability, reduce uncertainty for energy producers, and protect working families from avoidable disruptions caused by poor planning.