PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Congressional Research Service
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People & committees
Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] · D–CA
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
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.
Source last updated: Oct 14, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-10-01 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 proposal would create a Department of Energy agency by January 1, 2030, to support clean energy and climate research. Its work would include demonstration projects and research on how energy production affects communities and workers. It would prioritize certain technologies, benefits to defined disadvantaged communities, educational institutions, and places with severe job losses. The bill would authorize $400 billion for fiscal years 2027–2036; that authorization would permit future appropriations, rather than itself provide the money.
(b) Establishment Not later than January 1, 2030, there shall be established the National Institutes of Clean Energy, which shall be an agency of the Department of Energy.
(A) invest in clean energy science, climate science, innovation, and research and development to reduce emissions and build climate resilience;
(I) demonstration projects for clean energy and climate research and development priorities, including microgrids, energy storage, electric vehicles, and advanced energy technologies in hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as the aviation and shipping sectors;
(ii) research and development projects focusing on the impacts of energy production in frontline communities, including communities of color and low-income communities, that have been disproportionately impacted by environmental injustices; and (iii) research and development projects focused on impacts of clean energy and energy production on job loss, job creation, and workforce development, particularly in heavily unionized workforce sectors.
(2) Priority In carrying out paragraph (1), the Institutes shall give priority to— (A) the development of technologies that will— (i) minimize environmental harms to or negative public health impacts on frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities; (ii) improve the public health of frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities; or (iii) create high-quality jobs with strong labor standards in frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities; (B) research and development of advanced energy technologies; (C) climate science and innovation and clean energy technology;
(D) research and development that will be conducted at— (i) public universities and colleges; (ii) land-grant colleges and universities; (iii) minority-serving institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities; and (iv) consortia comprising 1 or more of the entities described in clauses (i) through (iii); and (E) research and development in geographic areas that have seen the worst job losses between 2018 and 2026, including rural areas and areas impacted by deindustrialization.
(d) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated $400,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2027 through 2036 to establish and operate the Institutes.
Section 1 would name the legislation the National Institutes of Clean Energy Act of 2026.
1. Short title This Act may be cited as the National Institutes of Clean Energy Act of 2026.
The National Institutes of Clean Energy would be established within the Department of Energy no later than January 1, 2030.
(b) Establishment Not later than January 1, 2030, there shall be established the National Institutes of Clean Energy, which shall be an agency of the Department of Energy.
The agency would have to invest in clean energy and climate science, innovation, and research and development. Reducing emissions and improving the ability to withstand climate impacts are stated objectives, not demonstrated outcomes.
(c) Activities (1) In general The Institutes shall— (A) invest in clean energy science, climate science, innovation, and research and development to reduce emissions and build climate resilience;
Required research support would include demonstration projects involving microgrids, energy storage, electric vehicles, and advanced energy technologies in industries where emissions are difficult to reduce, such as aviation and shipping. It would also cover research areas underrepresented in existing federal research and development funding, such as long-duration grid storage.
(B) support— (i) clean energy research areas, including— (I) demonstration projects for clean energy and climate research and development priorities, including microgrids, energy storage, electric vehicles, and advanced energy technologies in hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as the aviation and shipping sectors; and (II) clean energy research areas that are underrepresented in existing Federal research and development funding, such as long-duration grid storage;
The agency would have to support research on energy production's effects on frontline communities disproportionately affected by environmental injustice, including communities of color and low-income communities. It would also support research on job losses, job creation, and workforce development, particularly in heavily unionized workforce sectors.
(ii) research and development projects focusing on the impacts of energy production in frontline communities, including communities of color and low-income communities, that have been disproportionately impacted by environmental injustices; and (iii) research and development projects focused on impacts of clean energy and energy production on job loss, job creation, and workforce development, particularly in heavily unionized workforce sectors.
Technology priorities would include reducing environmental or public-health harms, improving public health, or creating high-quality jobs with strong labor standards in frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities. These are alternative grounds for this priority; a technology would not have to meet all three.
(2) Priority In carrying out paragraph (1), the Institutes shall give priority to— (A) the development of technologies that will— (i) minimize environmental harms to or negative public health impacts on frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities; (ii) improve the public health of frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities; or (iii) create high-quality jobs with strong labor standards in frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities;
The agency would also prioritize advanced energy technology research, climate science and innovation, and clean energy technology. To qualify as an advanced energy technology under this bill, a technology would have to satisfy all four listed requirements concerning emissions and efficiency, resource use, renewable energy, and community harms.
(B) research and development of advanced energy technologies; (C) climate science and innovation and clean energy technology;
(1) Advanced energy technology The term advanced energy technology means a technology that— (A) reduces greenhouse gas emissions with high conversion efficiency; (B) minimizes energy, water, and material resource use; (C) was produced by or helps generate a renewable energy source; and (D) minimizes environmental harms to or negative public health impacts on frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities.
The bill's definition of a frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged community requires both location in an area covered by a referenced economic-development law and disproportionate climate, pollution, or environmental-destruction impacts that have worsened systemic injustices affecting the listed populations. The referenced law is not supplied, so the full geographic eligibility criteria cannot be determined from this source set.
(2) Frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged community The term frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged community means a community— (A) in an area described in section 301(a) of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3161(a)); and (B) in which climate change, pollution, or environmental destruction have exacerbated systemic racial, regional, social, environmental, gender, and economic injustices by disproportionately affecting Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples, other communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, or youth.
The renewable-energy definition includes solar, wind, ocean, geothermal, and heat generated by the listed sources. Its listed hydropower category is limited to capacity gained through efficiency improvements or added capacity at an existing project placed in service on or after January 1, 1999. Its listed hydrogen category requires renewable sourcing and compliance with incrementality, temporal matching, and deliverability requirements in a referenced federal regulation or its successor. That regulation is not supplied, so the requirements' detailed meaning cannot be established here.
(6) Renewable energy source The term renewable energy source means energy generated from a renewable source, including the following renewable energy sources: (A) Solar, including electricity. (B) Wind. (C) Ocean, including tidal, wave, current, and thermal. (D) Geothermal, including electricity and heat pumps. (E) Hydroelectric generation capacity achieved from increased efficiency or additions of new capacity at an existing hydroelectric project that was placed in service on or after January 1, 1999. (F) Hydrogen derived from a renewable energy source that meets the requirements of incrementality, temporal matching, and deliverability described in section 1.45V–4 of title 26, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation). (G) Thermal energy generated by any of the sources described in subparagraphs (A) through (F).
Research at public colleges and universities, land-grant colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions, and groups containing at least one such institution would receive priority. Historically Black colleges and universities are expressly included among minority-serving institutions. These are priority categories, rather than an express rule limiting all support to these institutions.
(2) Priority In carrying out paragraph (1), the Institutes shall give priority to—
(D) research and development that will be conducted at— (i) public universities and colleges; (ii) land-grant colleges and universities; (iii) minority-serving institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities; and (iv) consortia comprising 1 or more of the entities described in clauses (i) through (iii);
The bill ties land-grant status to eligibility under specified education laws, expressly names Tuskegee University, and references the statutory category of 1994 Institutions. It defines minority-serving institutions through a separate provision of the Higher Education Act. The referenced laws are needed to determine the full scope of these categories.
(4) Land-grant college or university The term land-grant college or university means— (A) an institution that is eligible to receive funds under the Act of July 2, 1862 (commonly known as the First Morrill Act) (12 Stat. 503, chapter 130; 7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) or the Act of August 30, 1890 (commonly known as the Second Morrill Act) (26 Stat. 417, chapter 841; 7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), including Tuskegee University; and (B) a 1994 Institution (as defined in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103–382)).
(5) Minority-serving institution The term minority-serving institution means an institution of higher education described in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
Research in geographic areas with the worst job losses between 2018 and 2026 would receive priority, including qualifying rural areas and places affected by the loss of industrial activity.
(2) Priority In carrying out paragraph (1), the Institutes shall give priority to—
(E) research and development in geographic areas that have seen the worst job losses between 2018 and 2026, including rural areas and areas impacted by deindustrialization.
The bill would authorize a total of $400 billion for establishing and operating the agency over fiscal years 2027 through 2036. This is an authorization for the entire period, not an annual amount or an appropriation that itself supplies funding.
(d) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated $400,000,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2027 through 2036 to establish and operate the Institutes.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated October 14, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on October 1, 2026. This snapshot does not establish subsequent legislative action or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-14T20:46:07Z. 2026-10-01: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. 2026-10-01: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-10-01. 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 rider attached to appropriations was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials, or any amendment's attachment history.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending allocation to a particular recipient or place was identified after reviewing the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; it does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials. Formal earmark status cannot be established without any relevant requests, disclosures, or committee and conference materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The findings identify express preferences within the bill's main research policy. Classification does not establish guaranteed funding, improper purpose, or whether the preferences are justified.
The bill would give research conducted at specified educational institutions and consortia containing them an express priority. The favored categories are public colleges and universities, land-grant institutions, and minority-serving institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities. The land-grant definition expressly names Tuskegee University, connecting that named institution to the preferred category. This is an institutional research preference within the clean energy and climate program, not a guaranteed award or a dedicated allocation to Tuskegee. The absent referenced education laws limit assessment of the categories' full scope and whether the express naming changes Tuskegee's treatment relative to existing law.
(2) Priority In carrying out paragraph (1), the Institutes shall give priority to—
(D) research and development that will be conducted at— (i) public universities and colleges; (ii) land-grant colleges and universities; (iii) minority-serving institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities; and (iv) consortia comprising 1 or more of the entities described in clauses (i) through (iii);
(4) Land-grant college or university The term land-grant college or university means— (A) an institution that is eligible to receive funds under the Act of July 2, 1862 (commonly known as the First Morrill Act) (12 Stat. 503, chapter 130; 7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) or the Act of August 30, 1890 (commonly known as the Second Morrill Act) (26 Stat. 417, chapter 841; 7 U.S.C. 321 et seq.), including Tuskegee University; and (B) a 1994 Institution (as defined in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 note; Public Law 103–382)).
(5) Minority-serving institution The term minority-serving institution means an institution of higher education described in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
Research located in areas with the worst job losses between 2018 and 2026 would receive a geographic preference within the main research program. The text includes qualifying rural areas and places affected by deindustrialization, but does not name particular locations or guarantee them funding.
(2) Priority In carrying out paragraph (1), the Institutes shall give priority to—
(E) research and development in geographic areas that have seen the worst job losses between 2018 and 2026, including rural areas and areas impacted by deindustrialization.
The bill would give technology development an express priority when it would reduce environmental or public-health harms, improve public health, or create high-quality jobs with strong labor standards in defined frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities. Those communities are the intended beneficiaries of this preference; they must satisfy both a geographic criterion incorporated from another law and the bill's disproportionate-harm criterion. The finding concerns the mandatory research priority tied to this defined class, rather than ordinary program participation or equal access. It supports the bill's main clean energy and climate policy and does not guarantee communities funding, jobs, or health improvements. The referenced geographic eligibility law is absent, so the full set of qualifying communities cannot be determined.
(2) Priority In carrying out paragraph (1), the Institutes shall give priority to— (A) the development of technologies that will— (i) minimize environmental harms to or negative public health impacts on frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities; (ii) improve the public health of frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities; or (iii) create high-quality jobs with strong labor standards in frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities;
(2) Frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged community The term frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged community means a community— (A) in an area described in section 301(a) of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3161(a)); and (B) in which climate change, pollution, or environmental destruction have exacerbated systemic racial, regional, social, environmental, gender, and economic injustices by disproportionately affecting Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples, other communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, or youth.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 14, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI