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S5306119th CongressWALLET

Affordable Electricity Rates Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

Introduced

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.

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  • 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.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Limit electricity price spikes

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 raise retail electricity prices by 5 percent or more. If FERC finds a rate would cause unaffordable retail prices, that rate would not be treated as "just and reasonable" under the Federal Power Act. This change would take effect upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

CT • D

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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