H.R. 9332

[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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