# 119-s-5306: Affordable Electricity Rates Act of 2026

119-s-5306, Affordable Electricity Rates Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5306
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5306
- Congress: 119
- Title: Affordable Electricity Rates Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-08-06
- Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Energy
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to make electricity affordability a mandatory part of its "just and reasonable" rate test and to presume large retail price hikes are unaffordable.** - Families and household electric customers would gain a formal protection against rate approvals that are likely to make retail electricity prices unaffordable under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act definition. - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission would have to evaluate affordability in every "just and reasonable" determination and would presume a retail price increase of 5% or more is unaffordable. - Utilities and other rate applicants would face a new constraint. Proposals likely to raise retail prices by 5% or more could be treated as not just and reasonable and therefore denied.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Limit electricity price spikes: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to check whether a wholesale rate or charge would make retail electricity unaffordable using the PURPA definition of affordability. The bill would create a presumption that a rate is unaffordable if it is likely to r…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5238: For Our Republic Act
- 119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026
- 119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act
- 119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act
- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act

## Sources
- [119-s-5306 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5306)

## Related
- [119-s-5238: For Our Republic Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5238)
- [119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5071)
- [119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2838)
- [119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2819)
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5306 (as of 2026-09-10).