Articles

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This afternoon, the House Energy and Commerce Committee concluded a markup which favorably reported several pieces of legislation important to the Congressional Western Caucus, including:

• H.R. 9340 - Ratepayer Protection Act - Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08)
• H.R. 9332 - Load Forecasting Enhancement Act - Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12)
• H.R. 6633 - High-Capacity Grid Act - Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL)
• H.R. 9617 - Coordinating and Harnessing America's Recovery of Minerals (CHARM) Act - Congressman Gary Palmer (AL-06)
• H.R. 9616 - Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) Act of 2026 - Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

After the Committee's action, the bill sponsors released the following statements:

“America must build the energy infrastructure necessary to win the global AI race and outcompete adversaries like Communist China—but hardworking families should never be forced to subsidize that growth through higher electric bills. This commonsense legislation ensures the companies creating new demand for electricity pay for the infrastructure they require—not Colorado families, farmers, seniors, and small businesses. I’m proud to see the swift advancement of the Ratepayer Protection Act through committee, and I look forward to its final passage in the House,” said Congressman Gabe Evans.

“Reliable power starts with responsible planning. The Load Forecasting Enhancement Act gives states and utilities better tools to distinguish real electricity demand from speculation, improve long-term planning, and strengthen grid reliability. As we continue to see unprecedented growth in electricity demand, this bipartisan bill will help protect ratepayers and ensure our energy infrastructure keeps pace with our nation’s needs," said Congressman Troy Balderson.

“America’s electricity demand is growing at the fastest pace in decades. To meet this demand, we must optimize our existing transmission infrastructure,” Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak said. “The High-Capacity Grid Act is a commonsense solution that will help us move more electricity over existing rights-of-way, improve grid reliability, and manage costs for consumers. I’m grateful to my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee for supporting this legislation, and I look forward to securing its passage on the House Floor."

"Critical minerals are essential to our economy and national security, yet America remains too dependent on China for these vital resources. The CHARM Act takes a commonsense, bipartisan approach by directing the EPA to develop a coordinated federal strategy to identify new opportunities to recover critical minerals from materials already here at home. I appreciate my Democratic cosponsor Congressman Paul Tonko's partnership and am glad my colleagues voted to advance this legislation," said Congressman Gary Palmer.

"America's reliance on foreign sources for critical minerals is a national and economic security risk we cannot afford to ignore," said Congressman August Pfluger. "The Permian Basin is strategically positioned to be a leader in recovering these resources domestically. I'm proud to see the EMRTAI Authorization Act advance through the House Committee on Energy and Commerce today. This bipartisan legislation will help unlock the technology needed to recover critical minerals from contaminated sites and waste streams, strengthening our supply chains while supporting responsible cleanup efforts. I want to thank my colleague Congressman Landsman for his partnership on this important effort."

Legislative Digest

H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act
Sponsor: Rep. Gabe Evans (CO-08)
Co-Sponsors: Wittman (VA-01), Onder (MO-03), Van Drew (NJ-02), Joyce (PA-13), Baumgartner (WA-05), McCaul (TX-10), Fuller (GA-14), and Castor (FL-14)
Summary: The Ratepayer Protection Act amends the Public Utility Regularity Policies Act to propose standards for state utility regulators ensuring that when electric utilities invest in upgrades to serve the needs of a large-load, non-residential customers, those large-load customers are responsible for the entire financial cost of the upgrade, preventing upgrade costs from being distributed across the utility’s other customers, through increased rates. Under these standards, a large-load customer will be required to provide financial assurances or contributions before utility upgrades can be implemented. This bill would prevent the increased utility cost associated with data centers from falling on American families.

H.R. 9332, the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act
Sponsor: Rep. Troy Balderson (OH-12)
Co-Sponsors: Joyce (PA-13) and Vindman (VA-07)
Summary: The Load Forecasting Enhancement Act will protect ratepayers and strengthen grid planning by requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to create regional join boards, in collaboration with utility commissions, to research best practices for electric load forecasting. FERC will be required to provide research findings and recommendations to Congress and states, encouraging them to improve their forecasting procedures to support reliable, affordable electric service.

H.R. 6633, the High-Capacity Grid Act
Sponsor: Rep. Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL)
Co-Sponsors: Wittman (VA-01), Crenshaw (TX-02), Hamadeh (AZ-08), and Shreve (IN-06)
Summary: This bill introduces a new best-available transmission conductor standard under the Federal Power Act for new interstate transmission lines and rebuilds. The new definition of “best-available transmission conductor” will include conductors that maximize energy capacity, electrical efficiency, and mitigate thermal sag. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will be required to presume that using the best-available transmission conductors is a justifiable cost for covered transmission projects, and the use of non-best-available conductors for new utility lines is unjustifiable for cost recovery. FERC will be required to create a methodology to determine the best-available conductors, with consideration for ongoing technological advancements.

H.R. 9617, the Coordinating and Harnessing America’s Recovery of Minerals (CHARM) Act
Sponsor: Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06)
Co-sponsor: Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-20)
Summary: The CHARM Act amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act by directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a National Critical Mineral Recovery Strategy to coordinate federal efforts to recover critical minerals from discarded materials, including mining waste and processing residuals. The EPA Administrator will be required to regularly report the EPA’s actions and recommendations of this Strategy, to Congress.

H.R. 9616, the Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Initiative (EMRTAI) Act of 2026
Sponsor: Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11)
Summary: This bill creates an EPA program to recover critical materials from contaminated sites. Under EMRTAI, the EPA Administrator will be permitted to enter into agreements with persons, State local, and Tribal government entities, and nonprofit organizations for these purposes, offering financial assistance in an amount less than $3,000,000 per entity and less than $10,000,000 total, per fiscal year.