Bill > S3682

This bill, the "Power for the People Act of 2026," aims to address the growing electricity demands of data centers and ensure that their impact on the grid and other electricity consumers is managed responsibly. It proposes that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), referred to as the "Commission," mandate that entities responsible for managing electricity grids, known as "covered interconnection entities" (which include Independent System Operators and Regional Transmission Organizations), create specific queues, or "data center load queues," for data center electricity connection requests. These queues would prioritize data centers that offset their electricity demand through strategies like using new, low-carbon energy sources paid for by the data center itself, incorporating clean backup power, and adhering to prevailing wage and apprenticeship standards for construction. The bill also allows for the delay or denial of data center connections if they threaten grid reliability or affordability for other users, and it encourages the development of "qualifying load flexibility agreements" where data centers can be interrupted before other users during grid stress. Furthermore, the bill directs utilities to allocate local transmission upgrade costs directly to the data centers that necessitate them, rather than spreading those costs to all ratepayers, and it urges states to consider establishing data center-specific rate classes with provisions like minimum demand charges and longer contract lengths to ensure data centers cover their full energy costs. Finally, it mandates technical assistance and transparency requirements for forecasting data center electricity demand to improve grid planning.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3682/all-info