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September 15, 2026
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Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9332) to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to establish regional joint boards to study electric load forecasting, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 9332
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Load Forecasting Enhancement
Act”.
SEC. 2. REGIONAL JOINT BOARDS TO STUDY ELECTRIC LOAD
FORECASTING.
(a) In General.—
(1) Establishment.—Not later than 90 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission shall establish—
(A) regions determined appropriate by the Commission for
purposes of studying electric load forecasting; and
(B) a joint board for each such region.
(2) Regions.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the Commission
shall ensure that each State is included in a region
established under such paragraph.
(b) Membership.—Each joint board established under this
section shall be composed of—
(1) 1 representative from each State commission in the
region for which the joint board is established; and
(2) 1 member of the Commission, who shall serve as chair of
the joint board.
(c) Duties.—Each joint board established under this
section shall—
(1) study issues relevant to identifying best practices for
electric load forecasting that enhance the reliability and
affordability of electric service to customers in the region
for which the joint board is established, including, with
respect to the region for which the joint board is
established—
(A) the effects of electric load forecasting on the
affordability of electric service;
(B) the reliability and resilience of electric service;
(C) the methods used for collecting and modeling data
relating to electric load forecasting;
(D) the transparency of the data and methodologies used to
forecast electric loads and the accuracy of such forecasts;
(E) stakeholder engagement relating to electric load
forecasting;
(F) economic development projections that may affect the
electric load;
(G) the best available technologies, methodologies, and
procedures for forecasting electric loads; and
(H) an evaluation of requests for electric service by
industrial or commercial facilities with large loads,
including whether such facilities have made financial
commitments to an electric utility;
(2) identify such best practices; and
(3) report on such best practices to the Commission.
(d) Report to Congress.—Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall publish
and submit to Congress a report that includes—
(1) the best practices reported under subsection (c); and
(2) recommendations for the consistent use across States of
any such best practices by electric utilities.
(e) Termination.—Each joint board established under this
section shall terminate on the day after the date on which
the Commission submits the report under subsection (d).
(f) Definitions.—In this section, the terms “electric
utility”, “State”, and “State commission” have the
meanings given such terms, respectively, in section 3 of the
Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796).
SEC. 3. PURPA STANDARD ON ELECTRIC LOAD FORECASTING.
(a) In General.—Section 111 of the Public Utility
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2621) is amended—
(1) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the following:
“(22) Electric load forecasting.—The procedures used to
forecast electric loads shall incorporate the recommendations
published in the report of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission pursuant to the Load Forecasting Enhancement
Act.”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(e) Consideration and Determination by Nonregulated
Electric Utilities.—The requirement for consideration and
determination referred to in the first sentence of subsection
(a) shall not apply to a nonregulated electric utility with
respect to the standard established by paragraph (22) of
subsection (d).”.
(b) Conforming Amendments.—
(1) Obligations to consider and determine.—Section 112 of
the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C.
2622) is amended—
(A) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
“(9)(A) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this paragraph, each State regulatory authority (with
respect to each electric utility for which the State has
ratemaking authority) shall commence consideration under
section 111, or set a hearing date for consideration, with
respect to the standard established by paragraph (22) of
section 111(d).
“(B) Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
this paragraph, each State regulatory authority (with respect
to each electric utility for which the State has ratemaking
authority) shall complete the consideration and make the
determination under section 111 with respect to the standard
established by paragraph (22) of section 111(d).”;
(B) in subsection (c)—
(i) by striking “subsection (b)(2)” and inserting
“subsection (b)”; and
(ii) by inserting “In the case of the standard established
by paragraph (22) of section 111(d), the reference contained
in this subsection to the date of enactment of this Act shall
be deemed to be a reference to the date of enactment of that
paragraph (22).” after “paragraph (21).”; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
“(i) Other Prior State Actions.—Subsections (b) and (c)
shall not apply to the standard established by paragraph (22)
of section 111(d) in the case of any electric utility in a
State if, before the date of enactment of this subsection—
“(1) the State has implemented for the electric utility
the standard (or a comparable standard);
“(2) the State regulatory authority for the State has
conducted a proceeding to consider implementation of the
standard (or a comparable standard) for the electric utility;
or
“(3) the State legislature has voted on the implementation
of the standard (or a comparable standard) for the electric
utility during the 3-year period ending on that date of
enactment.”.
(2) Prior and pending proceedings.—Section 124 of the
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C.
2634) is amended by inserting “In the case of the standard
established by paragraph (22) of section 111(d), the
reference contained in this section to the date of enactment
of this Act shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of
enactment of paragraph (22).” after “paragraph (21).”.
SEC. 4. STATE ENERGY CONSERVATION PLANS.
Section 362(c) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act
(42 U.S.C. 6322(c)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (6), by striking “and” at the end;
(2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and
inserting “; and”; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
“(8) procedures and programs to improve the accuracy,
oversight, and transparency to stakeholders of the
forecasting of electric loads by electric utilities (as such
term is defined in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16
U.S.C. 796)).”.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 9332.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9332, the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, sponsored by my colleague Congressman Troy Balderson from Ohio.
demand projections. We all know electricity demand is increasing at a rapid pace not seen since World War II. Until our load forecasting models can more accurately determine the levels of growth, we risk overbuilding a system that is funded by households and businesses.
H.R. 9332 encourages Federal and State partnerships to keep the lights on at an affordable price for our communities.
Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
of artificial intelligence-driven demand for electricity is that we actually have no idea how large it will be. We know the demand for power is soaring, but estimates vary all over the place.
data centers would consume anywhere between 9 and 17 percent of all American electricity. Both of those numbers are enormous, but the gap between them is enormous, too.
We simply need to get smarter about our demand forecasts. This isn't an academic point. Demand projections for the future impact electricity prices today. Utilities across the Nation are investing in infrastructure and putting steel in the ground today based on the best available estimates of what demand for electricity will look like 3 to 5 years from now. If they are wrong because the estimates are too high, there is no refund. Families across the Nation will be stuck holding the bag. If they are wrong because the estimates are too low, then our grid gets less reliable, and the risk of blackouts increases. It is a lose-lose situation.
H.R. 9332, the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, helps fix this problem by requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, to create joint boards with State regulators to figure out best practices for predicting
electricity demand. The bill requires State regulators to push for their utilities to use those best practices.
It is a smart solution that gets every relevant party to the table. I commend my colleague, Representative Menendez, for co-leading this bill.
centers continue issuing NDAs that prevent utilities from comparing notes to see if they are getting requests from the same data center.
for communities and regulators. This bill doesn't entirely fix the problem, but it represents an important first step.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson), my good friend, the sponsor of this piece of legislation, and a member of our committee.
Mr. BALDERSON. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Guthrie for his continued leadership of the committee.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9332, the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, which shields Americans from unnecessary costs and strengthens long-term energy reliability.
Our electric grid is entering a period of historic change. We see rapid growth in demand from advanced manufacturing and electrification. These projects represent economic opportunity and investment in our communities, but they also raise important questions: How much electricity are we going to need, and where do we need it?
reliability risks as electricity demand continues to increase, which means we need to get serious about planning for the future.
Getting the forecast wrong can create problems in both directions. If we underestimate demand, we risk not building enough generation and transmission to keep the lights on. If we overestimate the demand, we could end up spending billions of dollars on infrastructure for projects that never materialize, leaving American ratepayers responsible for footing the bill.
regulators and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission together through regional joint boards to identify best practices for forecasting future electricity demand. FERC would then report those findings and recommendations to Congress.
recommendations, greatly improving transparency and accountability in load forecasting.
innovation. We want businesses to invest and create good-paying jobs. Most importantly, we want communities across Ohio and across this country to benefit from the growth.
Menendez, for co-leading the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act with me. This bipartisan legislation was passed unanimously out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill here today.
Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Speaker, once again, I believe that this is an important first step in addressing these issues, and I urge my colleagues to vote “yes.” I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I appreciate my good friend Mr. Balderson for sponsoring this and working with Mr. Menendez from New Jersey. I encourage a “yes” vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 9332.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.