Legislation· Dec 2025Sponsored by Troy Balderson (R)
Reliable Power Act
Requires federal agencies to get FERC approval before finalizing power-plant regulations during electricity shortages.
Tradeoff
Gives FERC a veto over environmental and energy agency rules affecting power plants when the grid faces supply shortages. Agencies must submit rules early and respond in writing to FERC's objections before finalizing them.
What's in it
Less than $500,000 net deficit impact over 2025-2035, with negligible effect after accounting for fee offsets.
The $1 million in federal spending is just the cost for agencies to run the review process itself; the real policy impact falls on electric utilities and grid operators who may face higher fees if FERC and the Electric Reliability Organization pass along their increased compliance costs, though CBO estimates these incremental fees would be small.
The House passed this 225-203 on December 17, 2025. The bill is now in the Senate.
House
Introduced
(May 29, 2025)
House
Committee on Energy and Commerce(May 29, 2025)
House
The Committee on Energy and Commerce voted to send it to the floor
Reported 28 - 23(Jun 25, 2025)
Committee report H. Rept. 119-302.
House
Passage of the bill
Passed(Roll #347 · Dec 17, 2025)
225 yeanay 203Senate
Received from the House
on Energy and Natural Resources(Dec 18, 2025)
- Randy K. Sr. Weber (R-TX)
- Julie Fedorchak (R-ND)
- Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA)
- Carol D. Miller (R-WV)
- Diana Harshbarger (R-TN)
- Rick W. Allen (R-GA)
- John Joyce (R-PA)
- Troy Downing (R-MT)
- Michael A. Rulli (R-OH)
- Nicholas A. Langworthy (R-NY)
- Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL)
- Robert P. Bresnahan (R-PA)
- H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
- Tim Moore (R-NC)
- Richard Hudson (R-NC)
- Daniel Meuser (R-PA)
- Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA)
- Tracey Mann (R-KS)
- Addison P. McDowell (R-NC)
- Robert F. Onder (R-MO)
Passage votes so far· Dec 17, 2025· 119th Congress · 2025–2027