Power for the People Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]
Introduced
Summary
Shift the cost and risk of grid upgrades from everyday electricity customers to data centers. This bill would create federal rules for data center load queues, require data centers to show or pay for demand-offsets, and set data-center-specific rate classes and higher interconnection costs.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
Data centers pay local transmission upgrades
If enacted, the Commission would require utilities within 120 days to file tariffs that charge local transmission upgrade costs to the data center that caused them. Data centers would still pay normal transmission rates for their class, but local upgrade costs would be assigned to the interconnecting data center. This would reduce cost-sharing of those upgrades by other customers.
New data center interconnection queue
If enacted, the Commission would have 180 days to require a data-center-only interconnection queue for transmission and distribution requests. Covered grid operators would give priority to data centers that secure required demand-offsets. Operators could delay or deny connections that would likely hurt grid reliability or make power less affordable for other customers. The Secretary would set up a forecasting assistance program within 180 days to improve long-term load planning.
Which facilities count as data centers
If enacted, a "data center" would mean a facility or group of same-owner facilities in the same utility area that uses more than 50 megawatts and is not federally owned. The Commission could add other criteria and anticircumvention rules. That definition would determine which facilities must follow the bill's interconnection, tariff, and labor requirements.
Data centers pay for power and wages
If enacted, large new data centers would need to bring and pay for extra power resources to get queue priority. Backup power must be low- or no-carbon and cannot be diesel. Construction workers must be paid local prevailing wages and contractors must use registered apprentices. Operators of new energy resources must agree to labor peace terms.
States consider special data center rates
If enacted, States with at least one data center would have to consider creating a special data center rate class. States must start consideration or set a hearing within 1 year and finish within 2 years unless they already acted. Options include minimum demand charges, longer minimum contracts, higher study deposits, permissible load ramp periods that do not harm reliability, clean transition tariffs, and use of CIAC. The Secretary would offer grants and technical help within 180 days to assist state regulators and utilities.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]
NY • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14]
FL • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Cohen
TN • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Elfreth
MD • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3]
OR • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4]
NC • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
MA • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Ivey
MD • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6]
MD • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
McClellan
VA • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Mfume
MD • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Rep. Olszewski, Johnny [D-MD-2]
MD • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Schakowsky
IL • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
IL • D
Sponsored 4/9/2026
McCollum
MN • D
Sponsored 4/20/2026
Rep. Latimer, George [D-NY-16]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/20/2026
Escobar
TX • D
Sponsored 4/21/2026
Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/22/2026
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
VT • D
Sponsored 4/27/2026
Pingree
ME • D
Sponsored 4/30/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov