The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide grants to public housing agencies and tribal entities for the comprehensive rehabilitation, energy upgrades, and modernization of public housing stock. These funds are intended to transform properties into zero-carbon homes by installing renewable energy systems, electrifying appliances, and repairing infrastructure, while also establishing workforce development programs that offer training, apprenticeships, and stipends to residents and local low-income workers. The bill mandates strict labor standards, including prevailing wages and the use of U.S.-made materials, and requires agencies to maintain or increase the total number of public housing units while prioritizing resident participation through elected councils and community engagement processes.
The Seeds and Breeds for the Future Act directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allocate at least $75 million annually toward developing new plant cultivars and animal breeds that are publicly funded and available for commercial use. This funding prioritizes research on climate-resilient crops, nutritionally improved varieties for local populations, and breeds adapted to specific regional conditions or dual-use energy systems. The bill also establishes a new coordinator role to oversee breeding research across the department and mandates that any public breed developed with federal funds must be produced substantially within the United States if sold under exclusive rights. Additionally, the legislation requires the implementation of strategic plans to assess and utilize national collections of plant and animal genetic resources, ensuring these materials remain accessible for future agricultural needs.
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Agriculture
The GRID Savings Act of 2026 directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to create new rules for connecting large industrial electricity users to the national power grid. This legislation specifically targets new or expanded nonresidential loads with a peak demand of at least 150 megawatts, aiming to clarify how costs for grid upgrades are assigned. Under the proposed framework, the agency must establish procedures to ensure that facilities built solely for a specific large customer are paid for entirely by that customer, while shared grid improvements are allocated fairly among all users. The bill also allows these large customers to voluntarily pay for regional transmission projects in exchange for guaranteed access rights and includes an option for them to construct their own necessary grid connections. Additionally, the law excludes the Electric Reliability Council of Texas from these requirements and does not change how existing grid plans are managed.
The Data Center Water and Energy Transparency Act of 2026 requires large data centers to report their annual energy and water consumption to state agencies or federal officials if the state lacks its own reporting program. This mandate applies specifically to facilities with a peak demand of at least 25 megawatts, which must submit details on their usage, efficiency metrics, and five-year projections for reducing resource consumption. The bill also requires operators planning to build new or expand existing facilities to submit similar reports before construction begins. Additionally, the law authorizes states to charge fees for data collection and establishes a federal penalty of $20,000 per day for negligent violations of reporting requirements.
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Data Reporting
The FIRST Act establishes a new program within the Department of State to promote the international deployment of American small modular reactor technology. Managed by the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, the program will advocate for U.S. nuclear exports, ensure high safety and security standards, and provide support for project development and workforce training abroad. The legislation requires the program to submit detailed reports and briefings to Congress every 120 days regarding its activities and funding, and it is set to expire in 2034.
The Grid Connection and Congestion Management Act requires Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators to offer a new type of interconnection service called basic access service for energy-only delivery. This service allows power generators to connect to the grid based on a streamlined evaluation that only checks if the facility can be safely connected, rather than guaranteeing that the power can be delivered to the market without interruptions. Generators accepting this service may face congestion-related curtailment, meaning their output could be reduced during times of high demand, but they are not required to pay for expensive transmission upgrades needed to eliminate those congestion issues. The law mandates that these grid operators update their rules within 180 days and establishes a process for generators to transition to other interconnection services later if they choose.
The FAIR Data Act prevents investor-owned electric utilities from passing the costs of large data centers onto residential and small business customers through higher rates. This rule applies specifically to data centers with a peak power demand exceeding 75 megawatts, excluding upgrades to the power grid made to support these facilities. State regulators are required to review and implement this cost-recovery restriction within a year, while the Department of Energy must verify that states comply before receiving federal administrative funds. Additionally, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will submit an annual report to Congress detailing how these data centers impact electricity rates and grid reliability.
The Green Ribbon Act of 2026 establishes a new program to recognize schools and non-formal learning institutions that meet specific goals for environmental literacy, emission reductions, and positive impacts on student and staff health. Under this act, the Department of Education will award grants to states and provide $10,000 honoraria to schools that demonstrate high performance in these three areas, while also creating a similar award program for museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions. The legislation creates a new office within the Department of Education to oversee technical assistance and training for sustainable school infrastructure, ensuring that under-resourced schools receive at least 40 percent of grant funding. Additionally, the bill requires the Department to update its award criteria within six months to align with health standards from the EPA and CDC and mandates annual reports on the program's progress and impact.
The Energy Bills Relief Act aims to lower household energy costs and accelerate the development of low-cost, clean energy by modifying federal tax credits, expanding weatherization programs, and streamlining permitting processes. Key provisions include restoring tax incentives for renewable energy projects, increasing funding for low-income heating assistance, and requiring federal agencies to treat wind, solar, and storage projects with the same procedural fairness as oil and gas projects. The bill also establishes new incentives for upgrading the electricity grid, such as tax credits for transmission lines and grants for wildfire prevention measures, while creating mechanisms to ensure utilities serve public interests and protect consumers from price volatility.
The No Passes for Polluters Act of 2026 requires Congress to explicitly approve any federal exemptions from Clean Air Act requirements before they take effect. Under this bill, the President and federal agencies must submit a detailed message to both houses of Congress whenever they propose to exempt a pollution source from regulations, outlining the reasons and potential impacts. Once received, these proposals must be reviewed by congressional committees and enacted through a joint resolution that requires a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The legislation also mandates regular reports to Congress and allows citizens to sue if the government uses an exemption without the necessary congressional approval.
