Lankford, Hassan, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Strengthen Grid Resilience for Communities Following a Major Disaster

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and colleagues introduced the Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience (POWER) Act of 2025, legislation that would strengthen the reliability of electrical infrastructure following natural disasters and would allow FEMA funds to be used for both restoration and resilience improvements, addressing a critical gap in current disaster recovery policies that particularly harms rural communities.

“In Oklahoma, we know the toll that storms and natural disasters can take on our rural communities,” said Lankford. “Far too often, rural electric co-ops are forced to rebuild the same vulnerable infrastructure again and again. The POWER Act gives them the flexibility to make smarter, more resilient upgrades up front—without increasing project costs.”

“Reliable electricity is essential for public safety, economic stability, and the lives of Granite Staters and Americans across the country,” said Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation is a common-sense solution to help public electric utilities improve resiliency after natural disasters, ultimately reducing future power outages and saving taxpayer dollars in the long run.”

Lankford is joined in introducing the bill by Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Andy Kim (D-NJ).

Background

Under current law, utilities receiving FEMA funding to restore power after disasters are ineligible for additional funds to improve long-term resilience. This often leaves rural electric co-ops unable to upgrade infrastructure for future storms, requiring costly restorations. The POWER Act fixes this by allowing utilities to use FEMA funds for restoration and resilience improvements without increasing the cost of any item.

The bill is supported by the American Public Power Association (APPA) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

###