H.R. 7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
The "Energy Bills Relief Act" is designed to help American families cope with high energy costs while promoting clean and renewable energy. Here’s a breakdown of the main provisions of the bill:
Energy Cost Relief
The bill aims to provide financial relief to households facing high energy costs by:
- Restoring tax credits for low-cost, clean energy.
- Reducing household heating and cooling expenses.
- Enhancing energy assistance programs, particularly for low-income families.
- Ensuring energy costs do not exceed 3% of income for eligible low-income households.
- Improving data sharing and streamlining processes to verify eligibility for assistance.
Environmental and Economic Assessments
The bill requires thorough assessments concerning the environmental, economic, and social impacts of natural gas exportation. Public participation is emphasized to address community concerns related to:
- Environmental justice.
- Greenhouse gas emissions.
- Economic implications for different consumer groups.
Electric Grid Equipment and Resilience
The legislation mandates the Secretary of Energy to formulate a strategy for:
- The timely replacement and transportation of critical electric grid equipment.
- Establishing a transformer resilience program.
- Engaging stakeholders throughout the implementation process.
Funding of $75 million annually from 2026 to 2030 is authorized for these initiatives.
Transmission Projects Enhancements
The bill aims to enhance electricity transmission governance by:
- Removing unnecessary constraints on transmission projects.
- Encouraging alternatives to traditional construction methods.
- Mandating reporting on the progress of interregional projects.
- Assessing environmental benefits with a focus on cost allocation and facility siting.
Agency Authority and Staffing
It designates the Department of the Interior as the lead agency for significant transmission facilities situated on specific lands. The Department of Energy will oversee other transmission projects, with amendments aimed at improving procedural efficiency and agency collaboration.
Energy Sector Employee Regulation
The bill also defines "covered position" in the energy sector and continues the assessment of fees created by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), ensuring consistent evaluations of fee structures.
Renewable Energy Projects
There are provisions that require the Secretary to:
- Evaluate public lands for potential renewable energy projects.
- Prioritize applications in designated areas.
- Ensure compliance with environmental policies associated with renewable energy development.
Offshore Renewable Energy Fund
The legislation establishes the Offshore Renewable Energy Compensation Fund, which allocates 10% of certain federal revenue to assist affected parties through:
- Payments for damages linked to offshore renewable energy projects.
- Grants for mitigation activities related to these projects.
The fund will be overseen by a defined regulatory process for claims.
Utility Regulations
The bill requires the Commission to revise existing regulations to establish new incentives for utilities based on performance, and to create a shared savings framework. This also includes timelines for cost recovery and guidance for state authorities.
Zero-Emission Energy Requirements
It mandates large load facilities to utilize zero-emission electric energy and introduces definitions for relevant terms. This includes:
- Development of energy productivity assessments.
- Establishment of a task force to guide these efforts.
Transparency and Accountability
The bill promotes independent evaluations of transmission metrics, ensuring:
- Unbiased evaluators and public transparency.
- Regular reviews, independent audits, and a public scorecard portal for oversight.
Federal Permitting Processes
Finally, the bill establishes the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council aimed at improving federal permitting processes. Key elements include:
- Timely public access to environmental documentation.
- Prioritization of projects with community benefits agreements.
- Funding for capacity building in environmental reviews and permitting processes.
Relevant Companies
- NEE - NextEra Energy, Inc.: May benefit from restored clean energy tax credits and increased renewable energy project opportunities.
- DUK - Duke Energy Corporation: Will need to adapt to new grid resilience requirements and may face implications from new regulatory frameworks.
- AEP - American Electric Power Company, Inc.: Will be impacted by changes in utility regulations and performance incentives.
This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.
Sponsors
151 bill sponsors
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TrackSean Casten
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TrackGabe Amo
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TrackYassamin Ansari
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TrackBecca Balint
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TrackNanette Diaz Barragán
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TrackJoyce Beatty
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TrackWesley Bell
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TrackDonald S. Beyer, Jr.
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TrackSuzanne Bonamici
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TrackShontel M. Brown
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TrackJulia Brownley
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TrackNikki Budzinski
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TrackJanelle Bynum
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TrackSalud O. Carbajal
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TrackAndré Carson
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TrackEd Case
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TrackKathy Castor
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TrackSheila Cherfilus-McCormick
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TrackJudy Chu
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TrackGilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr.
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TrackYvette D. Clarke
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TrackEmanuel Cleaver
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TrackJames E. Clyburn
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TrackSteve Cohen
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TrackHerbert Conaway
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TrackJoe Courtney
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TrackAngie Craig
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TrackJasmine Crockett
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TrackMark DeSaulnier
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TrackMadeleine Dean
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TrackSuzan K. DelBene
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TrackMaxine Dexter
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TrackDebbie Dingell
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TrackLloyd Doggett
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TrackSarah Elfreth
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TrackVeronica Escobar
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TrackAdriano Espaillat
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TrackDwight Evans
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TrackBill Foster
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TrackValerie P. Foushee
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TrackLois Frankel
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TrackMaxwell Frost
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TrackJohn Garamendi
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TrackRobert Garcia
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TrackJesús G. "Chuy" García
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TrackDaniel S. Goldman
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TrackAl Green
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TrackJahana Hayes
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TrackPablo Hernández
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TrackSteven Horsford
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TrackVal T. Hoyle
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TrackJared Huffman
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TrackGlenn Ivey
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TrackJonathan L. Jackson
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TrackSara Jacobs
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TrackPramila Jayapal
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TrackHenry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.
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TrackSydney Kamlager-Dove
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TrackWilliam R. Keating
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TrackRobin L. Kelly
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TrackTimothy M. Kennedy
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TrackRo Khanna
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TrackRaja Krishnamoorthi
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TrackGreg Landsman
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TrackGeorge Latimer
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TrackSummer L. Lee
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TrackSusie Lee
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TrackTeresa Leger Fernandez
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TrackMike Levin
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TrackTed Lieu
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TrackZoe Lofgren
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TrackStephen F. Lynch
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TrackSeth Magaziner
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TrackJohn Mannion
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TrackDoris O. Matsui
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TrackSarah McBride
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TrackApril McClain Delaney
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TrackJennifer L. McClellan
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TrackBetty McCollum
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TrackKristen McDonald Rivet
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TrackMorgan McGarvey
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TrackJames P. McGovern
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TrackLaMonica McIver
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TrackRobert Menendez
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TrackGrace Meng
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TrackKweisi Mfume
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TrackDave Min
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TrackJoseph D. Morelle
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TrackKelly Morrison
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TrackSeth Moulton
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TrackFrank J. Mrvan
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TrackKevin Mullin
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TrackJerrold Nadler
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TrackJoe Neguse
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TrackEleanor Holmes Norton
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TrackAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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TrackJohnny Olszewski
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TrackIlhan Omar
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TrackBrittany Pettersen
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TrackChellie Pingree
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TrackMark Pocan
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TrackNellie Pou
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TrackMike Quigley
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TrackDelia C. Ramirez
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TrackJamie Raskin
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TrackLuz Rivas
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TrackDeborah K. Ross
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TrackRaul Ruiz
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TrackAndrea Salinas
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TrackMary Gay Scanlon
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TrackJanice D. Schakowsky
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TrackBradley Scott Schneider
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TrackHillary J. Scholten
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TrackKim Schrier
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TrackDavid Scott
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TrackRobert C. "Bobby" Scott
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TrackTerri A. Sewell
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TrackLateefah Simon
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TrackAdam Smith
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TrackEric Sorensen
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TrackMelanie A. Stansbury
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TrackGreg Stanton
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TrackHaley M. Stevens
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TrackSuhas Subramanyam
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TrackThomas R. Suozzi
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TrackEmilia Strong Sykes
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TrackLinda T. Sánchez
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TrackMark Takano
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TrackShri Thanedar
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TrackBennie G. Thompson
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TrackDina Titus
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TrackRashida Tlaib
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TrackJill N. Tokuda
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TrackPaul Tonko
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TrackRitchie Torres
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TrackLori Trahan
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TrackDerek Tran
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TrackLauren Underwood
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TrackJuan Vargas
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TrackGabe Vasquez
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TrackNydia M. Velázquez
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TrackEugene Vindman
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TrackJames R. Walkinshaw
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TrackMaxine Waters
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TrackBonnie Watson Coleman
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TrackGeorge Whitesides
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TrackNikema Williams
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TrackFrederica S. Wilson
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Tracknan
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Actions
2 actions
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Mar. 18, 2026 | Introduced in House |
| Mar. 18, 2026 | Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Ways and Means, Natural Resources, Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Education and Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. |
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