Electric transmission and distribution programs

The Secretary shall establish a comprehensive research, development, and demonstration program to ensure the reliability, efficiency, and environmental integrity of electrical transmission and distribution systems, which shall include— the development and use of high-temperature superconductors to— Not later than 1 year after August 8, 2005, the Secretary, in consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies, shall prepare and submit to Congress a 5-year program plan to guide activities under this section. In preparing the program plan, the Secretary shall consult with— The Secretary shall consider implementing the program under this section using a consortium of participants from industry, institutions of higher education, and National Laboratories. Not later than 2 years after the submission of the plan under subsection (b), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report— The Secretary shall establish a research, development, and demonstration initiative specifically focused on power delivery using components incorporating high temperature superconductivity. The goals of the Initiative shall be— The Initiative shall include— testbeds developed in cooperation with National Laboratories, industries, and institutions of higher education to— The Secretary shall establish a research, development, and demonstration initiative specifically focused on tools needed to plan, operate, and expand the transmission and distribution grids in the presence of competitive market mechanisms for energy, load demand, customer response, and ancillary services. The goals of the Initiative shall be— As part of the program described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall award a grant to a university research program to design and test, in consultation with the Tennessee Valley Authority, state-of-the-art optimization techniques for power flow through existing high voltage transmission lines.