As of April 29, 2026, the House Energy & Commerce Committee held a hearing about rising energy demand, serving data centers and large loads, and ensuring affordability for ratepayers. [1] According to Duke Energy’s Senior Vice President for Grid Strategy, Planning, and Integration, large new electricity customers, if integrated into the grid responsibly, present economic development opportunities and can limit rate growth by spreading the fixed costs of the grid across a larger base. Muse Energy President Whitney Muse suggested that grid investment in new capacity is critical to meeting demand amid impending load growth and bill pressures. In contrast, Ranking Member Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) framed the hearing as an opportunity to “squeeze more out of the existing grid” through grid-enhancing technologies, virtual power plants (VPPs), and demand flexibility. A notable point of disagreement was the Fair Allocation of Interstate Rates Act, which would prohibit grid operators from allocating to one state the costs of transmission projects driven by another state’s energy policies. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), and Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) each raised concerns about the bill’s broad definition of “covered policy,” which could capture state policies unrelated to renewable energy mandates, including grid resilience plans for hurricane-prone states. Muse Energy testified that the Act would make it much harder to build interregional transmission, potentially including state and local land use, resilience, and economic development under its broad definition. Overall, utilities were concerned with the need for clear cost allocation rules, while Democratic lawmakers worried that the rules could block projects or shift costs unfairly.
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Your Custom Text Here