LOAD FORECASTING ENHANCEMENT ACT

On 2026-09-15, Representative Troy Balderson (R-OH-12) delivered a floor speech titled "LOAD FORECASTING ENHANCEMENT ACT" in the House.

LOAD FORECASTING ENHANCEMENT ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 145 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 145 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)] [House] [Page H] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] LOAD FORECASTING ENHANCEMENT ACT Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9332) to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to establish regional joint boards to study electric load forecasting, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 9332 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)).''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky. General Leave Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to include extraneous material on H.R. 9332. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Kentucky? There was no objection. Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9332, the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, sponsored by my colleague Congressman Troy Balderson from Ohio. Simply put, this legislation will improve the accuracy of electricity demand projections. We all know electricity demand is increasing at a rapid pace not seen since World War II. Until our load forecasting models can more accurately determine the levels of growth, we risk overbuilding a system that is funded by households and businesses. H.R. 9332 encourages Federal and State partnerships to keep the lights on at an affordable price for our communities. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mrs. FLETCHER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, one of the most frustrating aspects of the explosion of artificial intelligence-driven demand for electricity is that we actually have no idea how large it will be. We know the demand for power is soaring, but estimates vary all over the place. One study from this February estimated that by the end of the decade, data centers would consume anywhere between 9 and 17 percent of all American electricity. Both of those numbers are enormous, but the gap between them is enormous, too. We simply need to get smarter about our demand forecasts. This isn't an academic point. Demand projections for the future impact electricity prices today. Utilities across the Nation are investing in infrastructure and putting steel in the ground today based on the best available estimates of what demand for electricity will look like 3 to 5 years from now. If they are wrong because the estimates are too high, there is no refund. Families across the Nation will be stuck holding the bag. If they are wrong because the estimates are too low, then our grid gets less reliable, and the risk of blackouts increases. It is a lose-lose situation. H.R. 9332, the Load F

Referenced legislation: HR9332, HR9332