Ratepayer Protection Act
Latest action (Sep 30, 2026) — to consideration of measure withdrawn in Senate. (CR S5199)
What it does
Congressional Research Service, Sep 10, 2026The bill requires state utility regulators and nonregulated utilities to consider implementing a standard to hold certain large-load customers responsible for the costs associated with any generation, transmission, or distribution upgrade of electric service necessary to serve such customers. A large-load customer means a non-residential electric consumer that enters, or requests to enter, an agreement concerning the sale of electric energy primarily to operate information technology infrastructure and related systems pertaining to data storage and computational applications and services (e.g., data centers) that have a peak electric demand of 100 megawatts or more at a single site or campus.
Specifically, the bill requires states to consider implementing a federal standard for large-load customers. The standard must require rates charged by electric utilities for providing electric service to a large-load customer to be designed to recover from the large-load customer the full, incremental cost of any generation, transmission, or distribution upgrade necessary to serve such customer. This rate must include the costs that would be incurred if the large-load customer terminates an agreement with the electric utility pertaining to the sale of electric energy or otherwise ceases the purchase of energy from the electric utility.
Under the standard, an electric utility must require the large-load customer to provide to the utility financial assurances or contributions to cover the cost of any generation, transmission, or distribution upgrade that is necessary to serve the load of a large-load customer before the utility makes any generation, transmission, or distribution upgrade.
Face Value
as reported to the HouseHow much of this bill its name accounts for.
- Every bill starts at100
- Nothing counted against it: one area of law, and short enough that length doesn't register.
Face Value measures reach, not honesty. A big bill can be accurately named, and a low score is not an accusation — it means the contents reach further than any short title could describe. Count it yourself ↗ How this is worked out
What Congress did
2 recordedOn , as Amendeddecisive vote
House · Sep 16, 2026
A fast-track vote: no amendments, short debate, and two thirds needed to pass. Used for bills expected to be uncontroversial.
On on the decisive vote
Senate · Sep 30, 2026
Whether to end debate on whether to start debating it. Needs 60 senators; failing here kills the bill without a vote on the bill.
Who lobbied on this
17 organizationsThese organizations told Congress, in their own quarterly disclosures, that they were lobbying on this bill.
- American Chemistry Councilno position stated
“…H.R.9340 - Ratepayer Protection…” filing ↗
- American Public Power Associationno position stated
“…Discussed technical assistance for public power utilities for load forecasting. Discussed H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a federal standard relating to the…” filing ↗
- Basf Corporationno position stated
“…H.R. 9340 - Ratepayer Protection Act. BASF supports the Section 45Z tax credit, expansion and/or restoration of related incentives, and broader…” filing ↗
- Caterpillar Inc.no position stated
“…to research and development related to power generation (no bill number) Discussions related to power generation and electricity infrastructure. H.R. 9340 Ratepayer Protection Act (entire bill)” filing ↗
- Cleveland-cliffs Inc.no position stated
“…The Ratepayer Protection Act - H.R. 9340. Engaged in response to the definition of "Large Load Customer".” filing ↗
- Comcast Corporationno position stated
“…H.R.9340 - Rate Payer Protection…” filing ↗
- Dish Network Corporationno position stated
“…S. 4207 (the Spectrum and National Security Act of 2024), S. 3909 (the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2024), S. 3909 (the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2024), H.R. 9340 (the Supporting National Security with Spectrum Act), S. 4049 (the Supporting National Security with Spectrum Act) and S. 4317 (the Secure…” filing ↗
- Duke Energy Corporationno position stated
“…Load Forecasting Enhancement Act H.R.9339, Affordable Innovation for the Grid Act H.R.9335 Advanced Transmission Technology to Reduce Rates Act H.R. 9340, Ratepayer Protection Act H.R. 6336, Fair Allocation of Interstate Rates Act H.R. 6633, High-Capacity Grid Act H.R. 6529, Protecting…” filing ↗
- Edison Electric Instituteno position stated
“…H.R. 9340, Ratepayer Protection…” filing ↗
- Edison Internationalno position stated
“…services to help consumers, organizations, and governments manage their energy usage and improve electric grid reliability, and for other purposes. HR 9340 Ratepayer Protection Act HR 7977 To provide relief from high energy bills, and for other purposes. S. 4827 A bill to reauthorize a program for…” filing ↗
- Firstenergy Corp.no position stated
“…H.R. 9340, Ratepayer Protection Act (all…” filing ↗
- Intel Corporationno position stated
“…H.R. 9340, Ratepayer Protection Act Issues related to CHIPS and Science Act (Public Law 117-167) implementation, implementation of the Bipartisan…” filing ↗
Most filings say only that an organization lobbied on a bill, not which side it took — where that's the case we say so rather than guessing. Quotes are verbatim from the filing. How this is built.
Discussion
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