Protecting Americans from High Electricity Prices Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would replace the Natural Gas Act's default standard with a new Public Interest Criteria that would guide approvals for natural gas imports and exports.
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- Families and industries: Regulators would have to consider whether a proposed export would increase U.S. natural gas prices. That change puts household energy costs and energy-intensive businesses into the approval test.
- Climate and environment: Regulators would be required to weigh Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions when deciding import or export permits. Lifecycle emissions would be an explicit part of the public interest determination.
- National security and regulators: The bill would create an Authorization Order framework that conditions approvals on the new criteria and defines a "country of concern" to include Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, with a process to add others after interagency consultation. It also expands Commission discretion and formalizes consultation among Energy, Defense, State, and the Director of National Intelligence.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Protect households from higher gas prices
This bill would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to use a new public-interest authorization process for natural gas imports and exports. FERC would only issue an authorization order after an application, an opportunity for hearing, and a finding that the project meets new public interest criteria. The criteria would let FERC treat exports that raise U.S. natural gas prices for households or industry, increase greenhouse gases (Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3), or send energy to a "country of concern" as not in the public interest. "Country of concern" would include Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, and the Secretary of Energy could add others after public notice, comment, and consultation with Defense, State, and Intelligence. FERC would have 30 days after enactment to write rules, and authorization orders would become available six months after enactment. The bill would also say it does not remove existing FERC or Department of Energy authority under the Natural Gas Act.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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