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HR 7926

Stop Unfair Electricity Prices Act

119th Congress Introduced by Haley Stevens

The bill blocks government financial aid to regulated electric utilities for a year if residential rates exceed those on Jan 1, 2026, and then bars aid for two more years unless to

Introduced in House
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 7926

Summary of Bill: Stop Unfair Electricity Prices Act (HR 7926)

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes temporary constraints on when the Secretary of Energy may provide financial assistance to regulated investor-owned electric utilities.
  • Aims to prevent higher residential electricity prices and curb what it views as unfair or excessive compensation tied to rate increases.

Key provisions and changes

  1. One-year moratorium on financial assistance (Section 2(a))

    • For one year from enactment, the Secretary may not provide financial assistance to any regulated investor-owned electric utility that, after enactment, charges residential customers a rate higher than the rate the utility charged on January 1, 2026.
    • If a utility receives financial assistance during this year and subsequently charges higher rates, the Secretary must terminate that financial assistance.

  2. Two-year post-moratorium safeguards (Section 2(b))

    • For the two-year period following the one-year moratorium, the Secretary may not provide financial assistance to a regulated investor-owned electric utility that charges residential customers higher rates than those charged on January 1, 2026, unless the utility:
      • (A) does not increase total compensation for the five highest-compensated employees beyond the level on January 1, 2026;
      • (B) reduces the total compensation of the five highest-compensated employees by an amount proportional to the rate increase (twice the percentage-point increase in the rate), at the time of the rate increase;
      • (C) submits a report detailing (i) the 2026 total compensation of the top five employees, and (ii) the compensation after the reduction described in (B).
    • If the Secretary finds that the utility violated either (A) or (B), financial assistance must be terminated.

  3. Definitions (Section 2(c))

    • Clarifies terms used in the bill, including:
      • “Electric consumer,” “rate,” “State regulatory authority,” and “State regulated electric utility” as defined by the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) of 1978.
      • “Regulated investor-owned electric utility” means a state-regulated electric utility that is investor-owned.
      • “Secretary” means the Secretary of Energy.
      • “Total compensation” includes salary, bonuses, stock awards/options, and other financial remuneration.

Who would be affected

  • Regulated investor-owned electric utilities operating under state regulatory authority.
  • Residential electric consumers served by these utilities, who could see protections against rate increases tied to the moratorium.
  • Top five highest-compensated employees at affected utilities, whose compensation would be constrained during the two-year post-moratorium period.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective date would be upon enactment (not specified beyond enactment date in the bill text).
  • A one-year period during which financial assistance is barred if rates rise beyond January 1, 2026 levels.
  • A subsequent two-year period with conditional access to financial assistance, contingent on compensation limits and required reporting.
  • Potential termination of financial assistance if the Secretary determines noncompliance with the compensation or reporting requirements.

Notes for readers

  • The bill sets a specific benchmark date (January 1, 2026) for comparing rate levels and compensation levels.
  • It ties financial assistance eligibility to both consumer pricing (rates) and executive compensation, introducing a governance mechanism intended to curb price increases and excessive pay during assistance periods.
  • The bill is currently introduced and refers to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce; no Senate action is recorded in the provided text.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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