Lowering Utility Bills Act
Sponsored By: Representative Casar, Greg [D-TX-35]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would push utilities to lower customer bills by reducing the returns utilities can earn and by blocking many corporate costs from being passed to ratepayers. It defaults to the lowest data-driven return on equity and bans recovery of specific political, marketing, and executive expenses.
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- Families and households: Targets lower residential bills by shifting allowed returns toward the lowest value in a market-based range and barring many corporate expense recoveries from rates.
- Transmission providers and investor-owned utilities: Must build ROE ranges from three market-based benchmarks averaged over the past 5 years. The range is adjusted downward by 5 basis points for each identified risk-reducing factor and the lowest ROE is the default unless clear and convincing evidence justifies a higher return.
- State regulators and enforcement: A State may require a higher ROE but the utility must publicly justify and quantify revenue and residential bill impacts when doing so. Violations are enforceable under existing Federal Power Act rules and the Commission must issue implementing regulations within 120 days.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Lower utility profits and prioritize cheaper projects
If enacted, the bill would change how utilities and transmission owners get their allowed profit (ROE). The bill would make regulators use a three-point, five-year average benchmark and default to the lowest ROE in that range. It would cut the ROE by 5 basis points for each listed risk‑reducing factor and require utilities to show they prioritized lower‑cost, grid‑enhancing alternatives before recovering project costs. The Commission would have to issue transmission rules within 120 days and the bill would repeal section 219 of the Federal Power Act.
Block corporate and political costs on bills
If enacted, the bill would bar investor‑owned utilities and transmission providers from putting many corporate, political, and advocacy costs into customer rates. Banned items include trade group dues, lobbying and political spending, marketing to influence opinion (unless a state agency approves), travel and lodging for directors, gifts, fines, and outside legal or expert fees tied to rate proceedings. The bill would make violations enforceable under the Federal Power Act enforcement rules and require the Commission to issue Sec. 610 rules within 120 days.
Protect existing union agreements
If enacted, the bill would not let Sec. 610 override or reduce any collective bargaining agreement that is in place on the date the law is enacted. Existing agreements would remain in force and keep their terms.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Casar, Greg [D-TX-35]
TX • D
Cosponsors
Riley (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Ryan, Patrick [D-NY-18]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3]
AZ • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4]
NC • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]
IL • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
NH • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9]
TX • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Grijalva
AZ • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Mannion
NY • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6]
MD • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Menefee, Christian D. [D-TX-18]
TX • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Mfume
MD • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Mrvan
IN • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Simon
CA • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10]
VA • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25]
FL • D
Sponsored 5/12/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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