Sponsors
The bill increases state and local control and helps protect rooftop-solar customers' net metering rights, but does so at the cost of creating a potentially inconsistent patchwork of rules that can complicate interstate grid operations and raise costs for utilities and some customers.
Customers with rooftop solar or other distributed generation (including in rural communities) are more likely to retain or gain net metering protections, improving the economics of distributed generation for those customers.
State regulatory authorities and nonregulated utilities gain clear authority to adopt and enforce net metering standards, increasing local control over distributed generation policy decisions.
Limiting federal preemption could create a patchwork of interconnection, billing, and net metering rules across states, complicating interstate grid operations and coordination for utilities and grid operators.
With less ability to establish uniform national standards, customers and utilities that operate across state lines may face higher compliance and administrative costs and greater complexity.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bars federal commissions/boards created by Congress from prohibiting or obstructing states or nonregulated utilities from implementing the federal net metering service standard when chosen by the state or utility.
Introduced September 18, 2025 by Pablo José Hernández · Last progress September 18, 2025
Prohibits any federal commission, board, or other entity created by Congress from prohibiting or obstructing a State regulatory authority or a nonregulated electric utility from implementing or enforcing the net metering service standard when the State or nonregulated utility has determined implementation is appropriate. It relies on the definitions in existing federal law for “nonregulated electric utility” and “State regulatory authority” and is effective notwithstanding other laws.