H.R. 164 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Jan 15, 2025. Received Jan 16, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryUtilities can combine power restoration and hazard mitigation
When electric utilities get emergency help to restore power after a disaster, this bill lets them also do hazard mitigation work at the same time. Hazard mitigation means making improvements to reduce future damage, like upgrading infrastructure to better withstand storms or other emergencies. The bill also clarifies that utilities can receive federal hazard mitigation funding for the same facility they're restoring.
How it affects you
If you live in an area served by an electric utility that receives emergency disaster assistance, this could mean your power grid gets upgraded more comprehensively when it's being repaired. That might lead to better resilience and fewer outages from future storms or emergencies.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 3, 2025)
Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience Act of 2025 or the POWER Act of 2025
This bill authorizes electric utilities receiving certain emergency assistance for the restoration of power to also carry out cost-effective hazard mitigation activities in combination with the power restoration activities.
Additionally, the bill specifies that electric utilities receiving such assistance for a facility may, if otherwise eligible, also receive hazard mitigation assistance for the same facility under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Public Assistance program.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 164
AN ACT
Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience Act of 2025
POWER Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Val T. Hoyle (D-OR-4) · Introduced Jan 3, 2025 · Emergency Management · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jan 16, 2025: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass · Jan 15, 2025
Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Passed 419–2
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 210 | 0 | 5 |
| Republicans | 209 | 2 | 7 |
2 members voted against most of their party: 2 Republicans voted No.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 3 official versions.