Baseload Reliability Protection Act

Baseload Reliability Protection Act would add a new provision (Section 215B) to the Federal Power Act to prevent certain baseload electric generating units from retiring or changing their fuel source in areas that are both served by a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) or an Independent System Operator (ISO) and deemed at elevated or high risk for electricity supply shortfalls by the Electric Reliability Organization/NERC. The core idea is to keep these units in operation to protect grid reliability in high-risk areas. The bill provides a process for exemptions (via petition to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC), conditions under which exemptions can be granted, and a pathway for government support (grants or loans from the Department of Energy) to keep or replace these units if necessary. It also requires establishing standardized risk criteria for categorizing areas and limits consideration of greenhouse gas emissions in exemption decisions. A separate reporting requirement would have FERC assess whether enforcement mechanisms are sufficient and report to Congress within a year of enactment. In practice, the bill could slow or complicate planned retirements or fuel-switch projects for sizable baseload plants in high-risk regions, potentially keeping older facilities online longer or prompting replacement plans backed by federal financing. The approach ties reliability assessments directly to operating decisions and envisions federal help (grants/loans) to maintain operation or support replacement projects, with a strong emphasis on reliability over environmental or economic considerations in the exemption decision.