PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Congressional Research Service
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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: Sep 28, 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 Regional Energy Hubs Act of 2026 would fund local partnerships that help people and businesses find and use energy assistance and efficiency programs. Participating States and Indian Tribes would designate regional hubs to provide outreach, connect residents with energy professionals, and support workforce training. Community-based nonprofit organizations would lead the hubs, with services reaching disadvantaged and underserved rural communities. The bill would authorize $50 million annually for fiscal years 2027–2031; that authorization would not itself provide the money.
This Act may be cited as the Regional Energy Hubs Act of 2026.
Each State or Indian Tribe receiving financial assistance under this section shall designate and provide funding to one or more energy hubs
to increase awareness of and access to energy and efficiency programs and opportunities to improve energy affordability, including tax credits, grants, loans, rebates, financing, and other private, Federal, State, local, and utility-administered programs and incentives.
to ensure equitable access to services provided by the energy hubs in disadvantaged communities and underserved rural communities
facilitate connections between community members and local energy professionals, contractors, installers, and consultants
including by connecting community members to job training, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, educational, and employment resources and opportunities.
Each energy hub designated under subsection (b)(1) shall be led by a community-based organization located within such region
The term community-based organization means a public or private nonprofit organization
there are authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The bill would add a regional energy hub program to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Upon request, the Secretary would be required to provide assistance to an Indian Tribe or a State with an approved State energy conservation plan so it could designate and fund hubs.
Part D of title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6321 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 367. Regional energy hubs
Upon request from a State that has in effect an approved State energy conservation plan under this part, or an Indian Tribe, the Secretary shall provide financial assistance to such State or Indian Tribe to designate and provide funding to energy hubs pursuant to this section.
Each participating State or Indian Tribe would have to designate and fund at least one hub serving a defined region within its territory or jurisdiction. Hub locations would have to support equitable access for disadvantaged communities and underserved rural communities.
Each State or Indian Tribe receiving financial assistance under this section shall designate and provide funding to one or more energy hubs to serve a specific geographic region within such State or under the jurisdiction of such Indian Tribe
When designating an energy hub under paragraph (1), each State or Indian Tribe shall provide for an appropriate geographic distribution of energy hubs to ensure equitable access to services provided by the energy hubs in disadvantaged communities and underserved rural communities within such State or under the jurisdiction of such Indian Tribe.
Hubs would have to support regional efforts addressing energy affordability and potential energy disruptions. They would also provide evidence-based education about energy programs, their availability, and eligibility requirements, with increased participation as a goal.
Each energy hub designated under subsection (b)(1) shall— (1) support regionally specific efforts that improve energy affordability, community resilience, and energy security to respond to potential energy disruptions within the region;
provide evidence-based outreach and education to raise public awareness of the benefits, availability, and eligibility requirements of energy and energy efficiency programs and opportunities to improve energy affordability with the goals of increasing participation in such programs
Required community engagement would include rural residents, people with low or moderate incomes, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, small businesses, minority- and women-owned enterprises, affordable housing owners, nonprofits, local governments, and others facing access barriers.
conduct regionally specific community engagement with rural individuals, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, low- and moderate-income individuals, nonprofit organizations, local governments, small businesses, minority- and women-owned enterprises, affordable housing owners, and other entities that may face challenges in accessing energy and energy efficiency programs and opportunities;
Hubs would have to examine regional barriers to using energy programs and advance solutions. They would coordinate with organizations already providing local outreach, education, and related services.
analyze and advance solutions to regional barriers to accessing energy and energy efficiency programs and opportunities;
coordinate with entities, including nonprofit organizations, local governments, planning organizations, and agricultural cooperative extension systems, that conduct community outreach and education and provide relevant services within the region;
Hubs would help low- and moderate-income community members participate in existing assistance programs. The listed programs include low-income home energy assistance, weatherization, specified Inflation Reduction Act programs, utility programs, and State and Tribal affordability programs.
address energy affordability challenges by supporting participation of low- and moderate-income community members in relevant assistance programs, including assistance provided pursuant to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.), the Weatherization Assistance Program carried out under part A of title IV of the Energy Conservation and Production Act, a program administered by a State or Indian Tribe as described in section 50121(c) or section 50122(c) of Public Law 117–169 (commonly known as the Inflation Reduction Act), utility-administered programs, energy affordability programs administered by States and Indian Tribes, and other programs and opportunities to reduce energy use and costs;
Hubs would connect community members with energy professionals for assessments, decisions, and installations. They would also support access to building repair resources, including lead and mold removal, when needed to enable energy improvements and reduce postponed projects.
facilitate connections between community members and local energy professionals, contractors, installers, and consultants to perform energy assessments, make better informed energy decisions, and install energy and energy efficiency measures;
support access to nonenergy efficiency building rehabilitation resources, including lead and mold abatement resources, to enable energy and energy efficiency measures and reduce project deferrals;
Hubs would coordinate with workforce organizations, labor organizations, schools, and businesses to support a local workforce for energy programs. This would include connecting residents with job training, apprenticeship preparation, apprenticeships, education, and employment opportunities.
coordinate with workforce development organizations, labor organizations, educational institutions, and businesses to enhance local workforce development efforts to ensure the availability of a local workforce capable of supporting energy and energy efficiency programs and opportunities within the region, including by connecting community members to job training, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, educational, and employment resources and opportunities.
Each hub would consist of several partner organizations. Their expertise would need to cover energy, efficiency, workforce and economic development, housing, education and public awareness for underserved residents, and other areas needed for the hub's duties.
Each energy hub designated under subsection (b)(1) shall consist of several partner organizations to fulfill the responsibilities under subsection (c).
have expertise with energy, energy efficiency, workforce development, economic development, housing, educational and public awareness campaigns for underserved community members within the region, and other areas needed to fulfill the responsibilities under subsection (c);
Partner organizations would need existing regional relationships or the ability to build them. They would have to ensure services are adequately available across the entire region and commit specific activities, staffing, administrative capacity, and resources to the hub.
have existing relationships with, or the ability to form relationships with, entities within the region served by the energy hub to increase access to and participation in energy and energy efficiency programs and opportunities
ensure services provided by the energy hub are adequately available throughout the entire geographic region covered by the energy hub;
commit to specific activities, administrative capacity, staffing, and resources that such organizations shall undertake or provide for the operation of the energy hub.
A community-based nonprofit located in the region would lead each hub. It would need relevant partnerships or the ability to develop them. To qualify as community-based, it would have to provide educational or related services, represent the community or significant parts of it, maintain a physical presence, and seek community input.
Each energy hub designated under subsection (b)(1) shall be led by a community-based organization located within such region that has demonstrated existing relevant partnerships, or the ability to develop relevant multidisciplinary partnerships, to carry out the responsibilities under subsection (c).
The term community-based organization means a public or private nonprofit organization that— (A) provides educational or other related services to community members; (B) is representative of the community or significant segments of the community; (C) has a physical presence in the community; and (D) seeks input from community members.
The lead organization would coordinate partners, manage hub operations, and meet data collection and reporting requirements set by the Secretary and the participating State or Indian Tribe.
The lead organization of each energy hub designated under subsection (b)(1) shall be responsible for— (A) coordination of partner organizations within the energy hub; (B) provision of administrative capacity to ensure the effective management and operation of the energy hub; and (C) meeting any data collection and reporting requirements determined by the Secretary and the State or Indian Tribe receiving financial assistance under this section.
Each calendar year, the lead organization would submit a written report to the Secretary and relevant State or Indian Tribe covering the previous year. It would describe partnerships, efforts and barriers to obtaining other funding, outreach and any evaluations, and workforce development, education, and training activities.
Each calendar year, the lead organization of each energy hub designated under subsection (b)(1) shall submit a written report to the Secretary and the relevant State or Indian Tribe on the activities of the energy hub during the previous calendar year
(1) a description of the partnerships of the energy hub, including the effectiveness of and barriers to leveraging other Federal and non-Federal sources of funding; (2) a description of the outreach, educational, and public awareness activities undertaken by the energy hub, including any evaluations conducted of the effectiveness of such activities; (3) a description of activities undertaken by the energy hub to support local workforce development, educational, and job training activities;
Annual reports would also describe efforts to increase program participation and include estimates of participation, energy savings, and utility bill savings. Each report would assess regional needs, barriers, and opportunities. These are reporting requirements, not evidence that savings would occur.
a description of activities undertaken by the energy hub to enable greater participation in energy and energy efficiency programs and opportunities to improve energy affordability, including estimates of participation in affordability programs within the region served by the energy hub, energy savings and utility bill savings for community members accessing such programs, and opportunities as a result of energy hub activities;
a regional assessment that identifies the needs, barriers, and opportunities to fulfill the responsibilities under subsection (c) within the region served by the energy hub.
The Secretary would establish an advisory committee with States, Indian Tribes, energy hubs, and other relevant participants. It would provide information and technical assistance, including practices, standards, recommendations, tools, and educational resources for hub operations.
The Secretary, in coordination with other relevant Federal agencies, shall establish a Regional Energy Hub Advisory Committee consisting of States, Indian Tribes, energy hubs, and other relevant stakeholders to provide information and technical assistance for the establishment, operation, and improvement of energy hubs, including through the development of best practices, standards, recommendations, tools, and educational resources to be applicable to the management and operation of energy hubs across States and Indian Tribes.
The Secretary would consult and coordinate with relevant federal agencies. Participating States and Indian Tribes would coordinate hubs with their own relevant programs, including energy, housing, environmental cleanup, agriculture, education, economic development, and workforce programs.
The Secretary shall consult and coordinate with relevant Federal agencies, including the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, that administer programs and opportunities relevant to energy hubs fulfilling responsibilities under subsection (c).
Each State and Indian Tribe receiving financial assistance under this section shall carry out consultation and coordination between the energy hubs and relevant programs administered by each State or Indian Tribe, including programs related to energy, energy efficiency, environmental remediation, community outreach and education, housing, agriculture, economic development, and workforce development.
The Secretary would advise hubs on combining federal and nonfederal funding, called “braiding” in the bill. The Secretary would also have to reduce barriers to combining those funds to the extent possible.
The Secretary shall advise energy hubs designated under subsection (b)(1) on and, to the extent possible, reduce barriers to the braiding or otherwise combining of funding from various Federal and non-Federal sources to leverage additional resources and better enable energy hubs to fulfill responsibilities under subsection (c).
To the extent practicable, State funding would follow the existing State energy conservation assistance formula, subject to the Tribal allocation. Also to the extent practicable, at least 5 percent of available funding each fiscal year would be set aside and distributed to Indian Tribes.
Except as provided in paragraph (2), to the extent practicable, the Secretary shall allocate funding made available to carry out this section in accordance with the formula used for distribution of financial assistance provided pursuant to this part to States that have in effect an approved State energy conservation plan under this part.
To the extent practicable, the Secretary shall set aside and distribute not less than 5 percent of amounts made available for each fiscal year to carry out this section to provide financial assistance to Indian Tribes.
The bill would authorize $50 million for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031, in addition to an existing authorization. This would authorize future appropriations—laws providing funding—rather than itself appropriate that money.
Section 365(f) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6325(f)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (3) Regional energy hubs In addition to the authorization of appropriations under paragraph (1), for the purposes of carrying out section 367, there are authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated September 28, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on September 16, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-28T18:21:37Z. 2026-09-16: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 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 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 a particular recipient or place outside general program allocation was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not resolve formal earmark status in absent disclosures or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow special exemption, carve-out, or preferential treatment warranting a finding was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Program coverage, allocation rules, access protections, and operating qualifications were assessed as part of the program's general design. This conclusion does not extend to other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 28, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI