PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] · D–NY
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Oct 1, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-16 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed State Energy Oversight Act of 2026 would create a federal program to help states oversee electricity and natural gas service and rates. States could use assistance to strengthen regulators’ expertise, expand customers’ participation in proceedings that decide utility charges, and develop payment assistance and alternative pricing programs. The bill would authorize funding; it would not itself provide that money or guarantee lower bills.
This Act may be cited as the State Energy Oversight Act of 2026.
The Secretary shall establish a program to provide financial and technical assistance to States and other entities to support State utility commissions and other State agencies in the oversight and regulation of the provision of safe and reliable electric service and natural gas service at just and reasonable rates.
Financial assistance made available to a State under the program established under subsection (a) may be used to—
improve transparency of and participation in rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission
develop and implement alternatives to existing rate design structures, which may include— (A) energy affordability programs, including percentage-of-income payment programs and arrears management programs
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The Energy Secretary would administer the program. Its definition of states includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories and possessions. Its definition of energy utilities covers state-regulated electric and gas utilities, using definitions in an existing law.
The Secretary shall establish a program to provide financial and technical assistance to States and other entities
(1) Energy utility The term energy utility means— (A) a State regulated electric utility; and (B) a State regulated gas utility. (2) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Energy. (3) State The term State means a State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States.
(4) State regulated electric utility The term State regulated electric utility has the meaning given such term in section 3(18) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2602(18)). (5) State regulated gas utility The term State regulated gas utility has the meaning given such term in section 302(3) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3202(3)).
States could use assistance for regulators’ data collection, modeling software, analysis, and specialized staff. They could also study energy affordability, including program participation, households’ energy costs as a share of income, and financial impacts by income and energy use.
(1) improve the technical and administrative capacities and capabilities of a State utility commission, which may include— (A) supporting data collection and access to existing datasets, modeling, including access to modeling software and subscriptions utilized by energy utilities, and analysis in rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission; (B) hiring, training, and retaining staff of the State utility commission for the purposes of conducting work of a scientific, technical, engineering, mathematical, legal, accounting, or otherwise highly specialized or skilled nature; and (C) conducting analysis of energy affordability within the State, including participation in energy affordability programs, the percentage of gross household income spent on costs of electric service and natural gas service, and the financial impacts of such costs by income level and energy usage;
States could fund public education, better notices, clear public schedules for regulatory proceedings, and an office of public participation or similar activities to help people understand and participate in those proceedings.
(2) improve transparency of and participation in rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission, including by supporting— (A) public education; (B) improved notification of potentially interested parties of State utility commission activities; (C) promotion of well-defined, public timelines and deadlines for rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission; and (D) administration of an office of public participation or other activities to support broader participation and awareness of rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission;
States could support an independent public advocate authorized to participate in utility proceedings for residential and small-business customers. The advocate could operate as an independent state agency, within the attorney general’s office, as an independent office within the utility commission, or as a state-selected independent nonprofit.
(3) support administration of an independent public advocate with the expertise and authority to intervene in rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission on behalf of residential and small business energy utility customers, which may include improving the technical capacities and capabilities of such advocates, and such an advocate may be administered— (A) as an independent State agency; (B) within the office of the State’s attorney general; (C) as an independent office within the State utility commission; or (D) as an independent nonprofit organization selected by the State;
States could support programs that fund participation by individuals and nonprofit organizations representing residential and small-business customers in utility proceedings. These participants are called intervenors; assistance could also strengthen their technical capabilities.
(4) support administration of an intervenor funding program to encourage participation of individuals and nonprofit organizations representing the interests of residential and small business energy utility customers in rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission, which may include improving the technical capacities and capabilities of such individuals and nonprofit organizations;
States could develop alternative utility pricing and affordability programs. Examples include payments tied to income, management of overdue bills, and rates designed to reward utilities for meeting measurable customer or state policy goals. These are permitted approaches, not required pricing changes or promised results.
(5) develop and implement alternatives to existing rate design structures, which may include— (A) energy affordability programs, including percentage-of-income payment programs and arrears management programs; and (B) rate structures that better align energy utility incentives with customer outcomes, including performance-based rate structures that may seek to incentivize predetermined, measurable targets for peak demand reduction, energy efficiency, customer engagement and information access, affordability (including reductions in arrears or disconnections), customer enrollment in energy affordability or efficiency programs, or public policy goals of the State;
States could improve coordination among agencies, utilities, community action agencies, and other organizations to help residential and small-business customers access bill assistance, help making buildings more energy efficient, and other incentive programs.
(6) improve coordination among State agencies, energy utilities, community action agencies, and other relevant organizations to reduce barriers for residential and small business energy utility customers to access energy utility bill assistance, weatherization assistance, and other incentive programs.
The Secretary would determine a formula for distributing state assistance. One option could use population, energy use, energy prices, or the number of residential and small-business customers facing affordability problems, with each state receiving at least 1 percent of funding under that option. Alternatively, the Secretary could adopt an existing allocation formula; that alternative does not expressly repeat the 1 percent minimum.
(c) Allocation of financial assistance to States The Secretary shall determine a formula to allocate financial assistance to States under the program established under subsection (a), which may be— (1) based on the population of each State, the amount of energy used in each State, the price of energy in each State, or the number of residential and small business energy utility customers within each State determined to have a high percentage of gross household income spent on energy utility costs or otherwise struggling with energy affordability, provided that each State receives not less than 1 percent of funding made available under this section; or (2) adopted from an existing formula utilized by the Secretary to allocate financial assistance to States.
States receiving assistance would have to give reasonable assurance that policies and procedures are in place to make the federal assistance add to, rather than replace, state and other funding for eligible activities.
(d) Maintenance of effort Each State receiving financial assistance under the program established under subsection (a) shall provide reasonable assurance to the Secretary that it has in effect policies and procedures designed to assure that such financial assistance will be used to supplement, and not to supplant, State and other sources of funding for activities described in subsection (b).
Each recipient state would report annually on its use of assistance, following the Secretary’s timing and format requirements. Reports would cover regulatory capacity, transparency and customer engagement, participation offices, public advocates, funding for participants, and alternative pricing and affordability programs.
Each year, each State receiving financial assistance under the program established under subsection (a) shall report to the Secretary, at a time and in a manner prescribed by the Secretary, the following information: (A) The uses of financial assistance received under such program, including how assistance has been used to— (i) improve the technical and administrative capacities and capabilities of the relevant State utility commission; (ii) improve transparency of and participation in rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission, including efforts to improve outreach and engagement of residential and small business energy utility customers; (iii) support the administration of an office of public participation; (iv) support the administration of an independent public advocate; (v) support the administration of an intervenor funding program; and (vi) support the development of alternatives to existing rate design structures, including energy affordability programs and performance-based rate structures.
State reports would describe utility rates and recent regulatory decisions. Required financial information would include average residential and small-business bills by customer rate category, delivery and supply costs, fixed charges, and each regulated utility’s authorized return on equity—the allowed rate of return on shareholders’ investment.
(B) A description of energy utility rates within the State, including average bills of electric service and natural gas service for residential and small business customers, disaggregated by rate class, average delivery and supply costs, average fixed charge costs, and authorized return on equity for each energy utility regulated by the State utility commission. (C) A description of the outcomes of recent rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission.
Reports would also describe efforts to make proceedings and their outcomes accessible, participation by customer representatives, and the availability and use of programs intended to reduce customers’ energy cost burdens.
(D) A description of efforts to make public hearings, workshops, and State utility commission meetings, as well as the outcomes of such proceedings, more accessible to residential and small business energy utility customers. (E) A description of the participation of public advocates and other intervenors representing the interests of residential and small business energy utility customers in rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission. (F) Information on the availability and use of incentives, arrears management programs, and other programs administered by the State, energy utilities in the State, or third-parties in the State to reduce the percentage of gross household income residential and small business energy utility customers spend on energy utility costs within such State.
The Secretary would have to publish all state reports online. The Energy Information Administration would maintain a national utility-rate database based on those reports, separated by customer rate category and updated at least annually. Where practicable, it would coordinate with existing data collection to avoid duplicate reporting burdens.
(2) Public availability (A) Reports The Secretary shall ensure all reports submitted by States under this subsection are posted online and available to the public. (B) Database Based on the reports required by this subsection, the Secretary shall direct the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration to publish and maintain a national database of energy utility rates, disaggregated by rate class, including residential, commercial, industrial, and any other rate class established by the relevant State utility commission, that is updated not less than once per year. The Administrator of the Energy Information Administration shall, to the extent practicable, coordinate with existing data collection efforts of the Energy Information Administration to avoid duplication of reporting burdens on States and energy utilities.
If the Secretary determined that a recipient state had failed to meet the reporting requirements, the Secretary would have to withhold its future program assistance and redistribute that assistance to the remaining states.
(3) Failure to report Upon determining that a State receiving financial assistance under the program established under subsection (a) has failed to fulfill the reporting requirements of this subsection, the Secretary shall withhold future assistance to be allocated to such State under such program and redistribute future assistance to the remaining States.
The Secretary would provide technical guidance on utility proceedings, pricing, affordability programs, and other regulatory matters. Recipients would include states, utility commissions, energy utilities, and nonprofit entities that own or operate distribution or transmission facilities providing retail electricity or natural gas service.
(f) Technical assistance (1) In general In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide information, recommendations, best practices, and other forms of technical assistance related to the consideration of rate cases, the design of rate structures, the design and implementation of energy affordability programs, and other matters that typically come before a State utility commission, to States, State utility commissions, energy utilities, and not-for-profit entities that own or operate distribution or transmission facilities to provide retail electric or natural gas services.
The Secretary could fund experienced nonprofit organizations to educate utility commissioners, commission employees, and public advocates. Training could cover utility costs and pricing, allowed returns on investment, performance-based rates, affordability, grid modernization, and emerging energy technologies.
(2) Education and training of commissioners, commission employees, and public advocates (A) In general In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary may provide financial assistance to nonprofit organizations that have experience in providing educational and training opportunities for State utility commission commissioners, State utility commission employees, or public advocates to support the development and delivery of educational programs, curricula, workshops, conferences, and other convenings to train State utility commission commissioners, State utility commission employees, or public advocates on issues that may include rate case analysis, utility cost-of-service and rate design studies, analysis of appropriate return on equity, performance-based ratemaking, energy affordability, grid modernization, emerging energy technologies, and other issues that may come before a State utility commission.
A nonprofit receiving education funding would have to agree that the funded activities would be developed and delivered without financial support, material direction, or editorial control from regulated entities or their trade associations or other representatives.
(B) Condition on assistance As a condition of receiving financial assistance under this paragraph, a nonprofit organization shall agree that any educational program, curriculum, workshop, conference, or other convening to be developed and delivered using such assistance will be developed and delivered without financial support from, or material direction or editorial control by, any entity regulated by a State utility commission, or by any trade association or other representative of such an entity.
The Secretary could fund temporary placements of recent graduates and energy professionals at state utility commissions, state energy offices, and public advocate offices to strengthen their technical and administrative capabilities.
(3) Fellowship program In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary may provide financial assistance for recent graduates of academic institutions and energy professionals to temporarily work at State utility commissions, State energy offices, and public advocate offices to improve the technical and administrative capacities and capabilities of such State utility commissions and offices.
The Secretary would have to reserve 10 percent of funding made available under section 2 for the technical-assistance subsection, which includes education, training, and fellowships.
(f) Technical assistance
(2) Education and training of commissioners, commission employees, and public advocates
(3) Fellowship program
(4) Funding set-aside The Secretary shall set-aside 10 percent of funding made available under this section for the purpose of carrying out this subsection.
The bill would authorize Congress to provide $50 million for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031. This is an authorization for future appropriations, not an appropriation that itself makes the money available.
(g) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated October 1, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on September 16, 2026. It does not establish what happened after that snapshot.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-01T21:10:09Z. 2026-09-16: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 2026-09-16: Introduced in House 2026-09-16: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-16. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places outside competitive or formula allocation was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This text-only conclusion does not establish formal earmark status or absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential exception was identified beyond ordinary program eligibility and intended beneficiaries in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 1, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI