Bill · S. 3682· Senate(119-S-3682)
Power for the People Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 1/15/2026
- Last activity
- 1/15/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Sponsored by
- Chris Van Hollen
- Cosponsors
- - 8 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Power for the People Act of 2026 aims to manage the impact of data centers on the electric grid. It requires the creation of "data center load queues" to ensure these facilities do not compromise grid reliability or electricity affordability for other users. The bill encourages data centers to bring their own low-carbon energy resources and implement flexible load strategies. It also directs the establishment of specific rate classes so that data center owners, rather than general ratepayers, pay for necessary infrastructure upgrades. Finally, the Act provides for technical assistance and grants to help states implement these new regulatory structures.
Yes· 3 of 8
Would union members be better off under this?+7
The bill promotes the use of prevailing wages, registered apprenticeships, and labor peace agreements.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+6
The bill protects general ratepayers from subsidizing the infrastructure and energy costs of large data centers.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+5
The bill aims to protect households from rising electricity bills caused by data center expansion.
The opposite
Would business owners be better off under this?-4
Data center owners face new financial burdens, including minimum demand charges and higher interconnection costs.
Is this likely to grow the economy?-2
The bill creates new regulatory hurdles and interconnection delays that may slow the expansion of data center infrastructure.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Protection of Electricity Affordability: The bill seeks to ensure that households and businesses are not subsidizing data center development through rising energy bills (Section 2).
-
Grid Reliability: By creating load queues, the bill allows grid operators to delay or deny interconnections that might negatively affect the reliability or resource adequacy of the electric grid (Section 4(a)(2)).
-
Job Opportunities and Fair Wages: The bill promotes the creation of good-paying jobs by prioritizing data centers that use laborers paid at prevailing wages and utilize registered apprenticeship programs (Section 4(b)(3)).
-
Environmental Benefits: Priority in the load queue is given to data centers that implement low- or no-carbon forms of generation (Section 4(b)(1)(F) and 4(d)).
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Fair Cost Allocation: The bill directs that local transmission upgrade costs specifically needed for a data center be allocated to that data center, rather than other ratepayers (Section 5).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Barriers to Interconnection: New data centers that are not already connected to the grid may be prevented from connecting until they have fully advanced through the newly required load queue system (Section 4(h)).
-
Increased Costs for Data Center Operators: Data center owners may face new financial burdens, such as minimum demand charges, increased up-front interconnection study costs, or requirements to pay for specific utility investments (Section 6(a)(ii)).
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 Union Workers+7Good For Low Income Households+5Good For Middle Class Households+5Good For Business Owners-4
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+6Increases Job Creation+5Improves Economic Growth-2
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+4Improves Government Transparency+3
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Reduces Carbon Emissions+5
- 6/1/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/15/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 7 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
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.
Angela AlsobrooksDemocrat · Maryland
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont
Mark WarnerDemocrat · Virginia