Bill > HR4035

This bill, the Energy Consumers Relief Act of 2015, aims to protect consumers by preventing the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from finalizing certain energy-related rules that are projected to cost over $100,000,000 and would negatively impact the economy. Before such a rule can be finalized, the EPA Administrator must submit a report to Congress and the Secretary of Energy detailing the rule's costs, benefits, potential increases in energy prices for consumers, and employment effects. The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with other agencies, will then conduct an independent analysis to determine if the rule would lead to increased energy prices, affect electricity generation, or cause other adverse effects on energy supply or use. If these initial concerns are identified, the Secretary will further assess whether the rule would cause significant adverse effects to the economy, considering factors like gross domestic product, unemployment, and consumer prices, and then publish these findings. Additionally, the bill prohibits the EPA Administrator from using the "social cost of carbon," which is an estimate of the economic damages from carbon dioxide emissions, in cost-benefit analyses for these expensive energy rules unless specifically authorized by federal law.