S.1957 / 111th Congress

A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary of Energy to make loans to publicly owned electric utilities to finance and refinance projects to comply with any Federal energy efficiency resource standard, and for other purposes.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Congressional Research Service

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Oct 28, 2009

Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA) to instruct the Secretary of Energy to make loans to publicly owned electric utilities to carry out qualified projects, approved by the Secretary, which comply with federal energy efficiency resource standards.

Authorizes such loans to be used to: (1) finance or refinance the costs of the acquisition, construction, or improvement of an electric generation, transmission, distribution facility, or utility property or assets, including the costs of any indirect acquisition of such facility, utility property or assets; and (2) refinance bonds issued by specified state utilities.

Authorizes the Secretary to disapprove a loan application for a project if the Secretary determines that revenues available to repay the loan are unlikely to be sufficient to cover its repayment obligations.

Sets a maximum loan terms of 30 years. Authorizes appropriations.

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People & committees

Who introduced it

Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] · D–NY

Committees

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

0 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Legislative record

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

Oct 28, 2009
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Oct 28, 2009
Introduced in Senate

Primary sources

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Introduced in Senate · Oct 28, 2009 Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.1957 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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Discuss S.1957, 111th Congress: A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary of Energy to make loans to publicly owned electric utilities to finance and refinance projects to comply with any Federal energy efficiency resource standard, and for other purposes.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/1957

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2009-10-28.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/111/bills/s1957/BILLS-111s1957is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:11:45Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Analyze S.1957 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.1957 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.1957, 111th Congress: A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary of Energy to make loans to publicly owned electric utilities to finance and refinance projects to comply with any Federal energy efficiency resource standard, and for other purposes.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/1957

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2009-10-28.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/111/bills/s1957/BILLS-111s1957is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:11:45Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.1957 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.1957 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.1957, 111th Congress: A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary of Energy to make loans to publicly owned electric utilities to finance and refinance projects to comply with any Federal energy efficiency resource standard, and for other purposes.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/1957

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2009-10-28.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/111/bills/s1957/BILLS-111s1957is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:11:45Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.1957 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.1957 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.1957, 111th Congress: A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary of Energy to make loans to publicly owned electric utilities to finance and refinance projects to comply with any Federal energy efficiency resource standard, and for other purposes.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/1957

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 2009-10-28.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/111/bills/s1957/BILLS-111s1957is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:11:45Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.1957 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.