[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9332 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9332
To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to establish
regional joint boards to study electric load forecasting, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 18, 2026
Mr. Balderson (for himself and Mr. Menendez) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to establish
regional joint boards to study electric load forecasting, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Load Forecasting Enhancement Act''.
SEC. 2. REGIONAL JOINT BOARDS TO STUDY ELECTRIC LOAD FORECASTING.
(a) In General.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission shall establish--
(A) regions determined appropriate by the
Commission for purposes of studying electric load
forecasting; and
(B) a joint board for each such region.
(2) Regions.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the Commission
shall ensure that each State is included in a region
established under such paragraph.
(b) Membership.--Each joint board established under this section
shall be composed of--
(1) 1 representative from each State commission in the
region for which the joint board is established; and
(2) 1 member of the Commission, who shall serve as chair of
the joint board.
(c) Duties.--Each joint board established under this section
shall--
(1) study issues relevant to identifying best practices for
electric load forecasting that enhance the reliability and
affordability of electric service to customers in the region
for which the joint board is established, including, with
respect to the region for which the joint board is
established--
(A) the effects of electric load forecasting on the
affordability of electric service;
(B) the reliability and resilience of electric
service;
(C) the methods used for collecting and modeling
data relating to electric load forecasting;
(D) the transparency of the data and methodologies
used to forecast electric loads and the accuracy of
such forecasts;
(E) stakeholder engagement relating to electric
load forecasting;
(F) economic development projections that may
affect the electric load;
(G) the best available technologies, methodologies,
and procedures for forecasting electric loads; and
(H) an evaluation of requests for electric service
by industrial or commercial facilities with large
loads, including whether such facilities have made
financial commitments to an electric utility;
(2) identify such best practices; and
(3) report on such best practices to the Commission.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall publish and submit to
Congress a report that includes--
(1) the best practices reported under subsection (c); and
(2) recommendations for the consistent use across States of
any such best practices by electric utilities.
(e) Termination.--Each joint board established under this section
shall terminate on the day after the date on which the Commission
submits the report under subsection (d).
(f) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``electric utility'',
``State'', and ``State commission'' have the meanings given such terms,
respectively, in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796).
SEC. 3. PURPA STANDARD ON ELECTRIC LOAD FORECASTING.
(a) In General.--Section 111 of the Public Utility Regulatory
Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2621) is amended--
(1) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the following:
``(22) Electric load forecasting.--The procedures used to
forecast electric loads shall incorporate the recommendations
published in the report of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission pursuant to the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act.'';
and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Consideration and Determination by Nonregulated Electric
Utilities.--The requirement for consideration and determination
referred to in the first sentence of subsection (a) shall not apply to
a nonregulated electric utility with respect to the standard
established by paragraph (22) of subsection (d).''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Obligations to consider and determine.--Section 112 of
the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C.
2622) is amended--
(A) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the
following:
``(9)(A) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this paragraph, each State regulatory authority (with
respect to each electric utility for which the State has
ratemaking authority) shall commence consideration under
section 111, or set a hearing date for consideration, with
respect to the standard established by paragraph (22) of
section 111(d).
``(B) Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
this paragraph, each State regulatory authority (with respect
to each electric utility for which the State has ratemaking
authority) shall complete the consideration and make the
determination under section 111 with respect to the standard
established by paragraph (22) of section 111(d).'';
(B) in subsection (c)--
(i) by striking ``subsection (b)(2)'' and
inserting ``subsection (b)''; and
(ii) by inserting ``In the case of the
standard established by paragraph (22) of
section 111(d), the reference contained in this
subsection to the date of enactment of this Act
shall be deemed to be a reference to the date
of enactment of that paragraph (22).'' after
``paragraph (21).''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Other Prior State Actions.--Subsections (b) and (c) shall not
apply to the standard established by paragraph (22) of section 111(d)
in the case of any electric utility in a State if, before the date of
enactment of this subsection--
``(1) the State has implemented for the electric utility
the standard (or a comparable standard);
``(2) the State regulatory authority for the State has
conducted a proceeding to consider implementation of the
standard (or a comparable standard) for the electric utility;
or
``(3) the State legislature has voted on the implementation
of the standard (or a comparable standard) for the electric
utility during the 3-year period ending on that date of
enactment.''.
(2) Prior and pending proceedings.--Section 124 of the
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2634)
is amended by inserting ``In the case of the standard
established by paragraph (22) of section 111(d), the reference
contained in this section to the date of enactment of this Act
shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of enactment of
paragraph (22).'' after ``paragraph (21).''.
SEC. 4. STATE ENERGY CONSERVATION PLANS.
Section 362(c) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C.
6322(c)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(8) procedures and programs to improve the accuracy,
oversight, and transparency to stakeholders of the forecasting
of electric loads by electric utilities (as such term is
defined in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C.
796)).''.
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