Bill · H.R. 8400· House(119-HR-8400)
DATA Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 4/21/2026
- Last activity
- 4/21/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Sponsored by
- Nicholas Begich
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The DATA Act of 2026 seeks to amend the Federal Power Act to exempt consumer-regulated electric utilities (CREUs) from federal regulation. A CREU is defined as an electric generation and supply system established after the act's enactment to serve only new electric loads. These systems must be physically islanded from regulated utilities and the bulk-power system. The bill exempts these utilities from various forms of oversight, including rate regulation and reliability standards. Additionally, it exempts CREUs from certain regulations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Secretary of Energy.
Yes
Would business owners be better off under this?+6
The bill provides significant regulatory relief and autonomy for entities establishing consumer-regulated electric utilities.
Does this make it easier to run a small business?+5
The bill allows for new, independent electric generation and supply systems to operate with reduced federal oversight.
Does this repair or build roads and bridges?+2
The bill permits CREUs to construct and operate facilities within existing public rights-of-way.
The opposite
Does this give the federal government more power?-5
The bill reduces the power of federal agencies like FERC and the Secretary of Energy to regulate new electric utility systems.
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?-3
The bill limits the scope of application review for facilities in public rights-of-way to only storm-response planning and restoration.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Autonomy for New Energy Systems: A consumer-regulated electric utility (CREU) is allowed to own, construct, and operate its own facilities for generation, storage, transmission, and distribution (Section 2).
-
Streamlined Infrastructure Development: CREUs may construct and operate facilities within existing public rights-of-way, provided they meet specific restoration and safety requirements (Section 7).
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Reduced Regulatory Burdens: CREUs are exempt from various federal oversight areas such as rate regulation, corporate oversight, and transmission or distribution regulation (Section 3).
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Exemption from Specific Interconnection Requirements: Under the amendment to the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, a CREU is not required to interconnect with, purchase from, or sell to an electric utility (Section 5).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Loss of Federal Oversight Upon Connection: If a CREU chooses to connect to any portion of the bulk-power system or other electric transmission/distribution systems for primary or backup supply, it immediately loses its exempt status and becomes subject to all applicable federal regulations (Section 4).
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Limited Review of Infrastructure Applications: For facilities located within public rights-of-way, the review of applications is restricted exclusively to the adequacy of storm-response planning and right-of-way restoration (Section 7).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+6
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power-5
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Roads And Bridges+2Improves Environmental Protections-3
- 4/21/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Dan CrenshawRepublican · Texas
Burgess OwensRepublican · Utah