SenateS. 4735119th Congress
Protecting Americans from High Electricity Prices Act of 2026
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4735 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4735
To establish procedures for determining the public interest with
respect to greenhouse gas emissions, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 10, 2026
Mr. Merkley introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish procedures for determining the public interest with
respect to greenhouse gas emissions, 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 ``Protecting Americans from High
Electricity Prices Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. PUBLIC INTEREST CRITERIA UNDER THE NATURAL GAS ACT.
(a) Public Interest Criteria.--Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15
U.S.C. 717b) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in the third sentence, by striking ``The
Commission may'' and inserting the following:
``(3) Authority.--The Commission may'';
(B) in the second sentence--
(i) by inserting ``, subject to subsection
(c)'' after ``public interest''; and
(ii) by striking ``The Commission shall''
and all that follows through ``will not be''
and inserting the following:
``(2) Public interest.--The Commission may issue such order
upon application, after an opportunity for hearing, if the
Commission finds that the proposed exportation or importation
is''; and
(C) by striking ``(a) After six months'' and
inserting the following:
``(a) Authorization Order.--
``(1) In general.--After 6 months''; and
(2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
``(c) Public Interest Criteria.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Country of concern.--The term `country of
concern' means--
``(i) Russia;
``(ii) China;
``(iii) North Korea;
``(iv) Iran; and
``(v) any other country that, after public
notice and comment, the Secretary of Energy, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the
Secretary of State, and the Director of
National Intelligence, determines to be engaged
in conduct that is detrimental to the national
security or foreign policy of the United
States.
``(B) Scope 1 emissions.--The term `scope 1
emissions' means direct emissions that occur from
sources that are controlled or owned by an
organization.
``(C) Scope 2 emissions.--The term `scope 2
emissions' means indirect greenhouse gas emissions
associated with the purchase of electricity, steam,
heat, or cooling.
``(D) Scope 3 emissions.--The term `scope 3
emissions' means all indirect greenhouse gases produced
in a value chain of a company, excluding purchased
electricity.
``(2) Public interest activities and outcomes.--
``(A) In general.--For the purposes of subsection
(a)(2), with respect to the import or export of natural
gas--
``(i) the Commission shall consider the
public interest broadly, including
environmental impacts and affordability; and
``(ii) the activities and outcomes
described in subparagraph (B) are not
consistent with the public interest.
``(B) Activities and outcomes.--The activities and
outcomes referred to in subparagraph (A) are:
``(i) Increasing the price of natural gas
for households or industries in the United
States.
``(ii) Increasing greenhouse gas emissions,
including the consideration of all scope 1
emissions, scope 2 emissions, and scope 3
emissions.
``(iii) Supplying energy to a country of
concern.
``(3) Rulemaking.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of the Protecting Americans from High Electricity
Prices Act of 2026, the Commission shall promulgate regulations
establishing the procedures and criteria to be used for
determining whether an import or export of natural gas is
consistent with the public interest under subsection (a)(2),
including consideration of the matters described in paragraph
(2), and, with respect to greenhouse gas emissions, the
consideration of all scope 1 emissions, scope 2 emissions, and
scope 3 emissions.''.
(b) Savings Clause.--Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by
this Act--
(1) is intended as a statement of congressional intent with
respect to the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission or the Secretary of Energy under the Natural Gas Act
(15 U.S.C. 717 et seq.);
(2) precludes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or
the Secretary of Energy from considering the impact of export
of natural gas on households, businesses, or natural gas-
dependent industries in the United States when carrying out the
Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717 et seq.) or any other applicable
law;
(3) precludes the Secretary of Energy from determining that
the export of natural gas is not consistent with the public
interest pursuant to section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15
U.S.C. 717b); or
(4) precludes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from
determining that the export of natural gas is not in service of
public convenience or necessity pursuant to section 7 of the
Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717f) because it raises prices on
households, businesses, or natural gas-dependent industries in
the United States.
(c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act (15
U.S.C. 717b) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b), by striking ``(b) With respect to''
and inserting the following:
``(b) Free Trade Agreement.--With respect to'';
(2) in subsection (d), by striking ``(d) Except as'' and
inserting the following:
``(d) Construction With Other Laws.--Except as'';
(3) in subsection (e)--
(A) by striking ``(e) (1) The Commission'' and
inserting the following:
``(e) LNG Terminals.--
``(1) Authority.--The Commission'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by striking ``(2) Upon the filing'' and
inserting the following:
``(2) Filing.--On the filing''; and
(ii) by indenting subparagraphs (A) through
(D) appropriately;
(C) in paragraph (3)--
(i) by striking ``(3) (A) Except as
provided'' and inserting the following:
``(3) Discretion.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided'';
(ii) by indenting subparagraphs (B) and (C)
appropriately;
(iii) in subparagraph (B)--
(I) by striking ``(B) Before
January'' and inserting the following:
``(B) Limitations.--Before January'';
(II) by indenting clauses (i) and
(ii) appropriately; and
(III) in clause (ii), by indenting
subclauses (I) through (III)
appropriately; and
(iv) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``(C)
Subparagraph (B) shall'' and inserting the
following:
``(C) Sunset.--Subparagraph (B) shall''; and
(D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``(4) An order''
and inserting the following:
``(4) Limitations.--An order''; and
(4) in subsection (f)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``;
and'' and inserting a period; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``(B)
does not include'' and inserting the following:
``(B) Exclusion.--The term `military installation'
does not include'';
(B) by striking the subsection designation and all
that follows through ``means a base'' in paragraph
(1)(A) and inserting the following:
``(f) Military Installations.--
``(1) Definition of military installation.--
``(A) In general.--In this subsection, the term
`military installation' means a base'';
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``(2) The
Commission shall'' and inserting the following:
``(2) Memorandum of understanding.--The Commission shall'';
and
(D) in paragraph (3), by striking ``(3) The
Commission shall'' and inserting the following:
``(3) Concurrence.--The Commission shall''.
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