1. Short title; table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Grid Modernization Act . (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Definitions. Sec. 3. Grid storage program. Sec. 4. Technology demonstration on the distribution system. Sec. 5. Micro-grid and hybrid micro-grid systems program. Sec. 6. Electric grid architecture, scenario development, and modeling. Sec. 7. Voluntary model pathways. Sec. 8. Performance metrics for electricity infrastructure providers. Sec. 9. Voluntary State, regional, and local electricity distribution planning. Sec. 10. Authorization of appropriations. 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Department The term Department means the Department of Energy. (2) National laboratory The term National Laboratory has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15801 ). (3) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Energy. 3. Grid storage program (a) In general The Secretary shall conduct a program of research, development, and demonstration of electric grid energy storage that addresses the principal challenges identified in the 2013 Department of Energy Strategic Plan for Grid Energy Storage. (b) Areas of focus The program under this section shall focus on— (1) materials, electric thermal, electromechanical, and electrochemical systems research; (2) power conversion technologies research; (3) developing— (A) empirical and science-based industry standards to compare the storage capacity, cycle length and capabilities, and reliability of different types of electricity storage; and (B) validation and testing techniques; (4) other fundamental and applied research critical to widespread deployment of electricity storage