OKC Standard

Senators James Lankford of Oklahoma and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, along with other colleagues, have introduced the Promoting Opportunities to Widen Electrical Resilience (POWER) Act of 2025. The proposal aims to enhance the reliability of electrical infrastructure after natural disasters by allowing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds to be used for both restoration and resilience improvements. This initiative seeks to address deficiencies in the current disaster recovery policies that disproportionately affect rural communities.

"In Oklahoma, we know the toll that storms and natural disasters can take on our rural communities," stated 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."

Senator Hassan added, "Reliable electricity is essential for public safety, economic stability, and the lives of Granite Staters and Americans across the country. 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."

The introduction of this bill is supported by other senators including Markwayne Mullin from Oklahoma, Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut, Roger Wicker from Mississippi, and Andy Kim from New Jersey.

Current regulations only allow FEMA funds to be used for restoring power after disasters, without the provision for enhancing long-term resilience. This often hinders rural electric co-ops from upgrading their infrastructure against future weather events, resulting in costly repairs. The POWER Act aims to resolve this issue by allowing the utilization of FEMA funds for both restoration and resilience improvements, without adding to project costs.

The American Public Power Association (APPA) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) have expressed their support for the bill.