The Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act of 2026 allows the Department of the Interior to charge geothermal lease applicants and holders for administrative costs related to processing applications and monitoring activities such as drilling and site construction. Effective upon enactment, this authority applies through September 30, 2032, and covers expenses incurred during the review of permits and the inspection of exploration, drilling, and facility operations. While the Secretary of the Interior has the power to require full reimbursement, they must consider existing cost-sharing agreements and may reduce charges if full payment would cause economic hardship or hinder resource development. Any funds collected under this program must be used specifically to cover the same administrative and monitoring costs listed in the bill. Additionally, the Act requires a report to be submitted five years after enactment to assess the program's impact and recommend future updates.
The Protecting America's Small Oil and Gas Producers and Rural Jobs Act modifies federal tax rules to provide financial incentives for small oil and gas producers. It increases the percentage of income that can be deducted for taxes on marginal oil properties and removes a specific income limit that restricts these deductions. Additionally, the bill raises the threshold for counting oil as depletable from 1,000 to 2,000 barrels per well. These tax changes are designed to take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026.
This Senate resolution formally designates May 2026 as Renewable Fuels Month to honor the contributions of biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel. The bill highlights how these fuels support rural economies, create jobs, and reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil. It also notes the environmental benefits, such as lower greenhouse gas emissions and improved air quality, without imposing any new laws or regulations.
The Eastern Mediterranean Gateway Act aims to strengthen the United States' role in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor by prioritizing diplomatic and strategic cooperation with Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, and Israel. It directs the Secretary of State to institutionalize multilateral dialogues, focus foreign policy efforts on energy security and defense in the region, and maintain leadership in existing initiatives like the East Mediterranean Gas Forum. Additionally, the bill requires federal officials to submit annual reports on implementation progress and to study the feasibility of creating new bilateral research and development programs with these nations, similar to those currently established with Israel.
The Energy Cost Fairness and Reliability Act of 2026 establishes new federal rules to manage the connection of large energy users, specifically data centers and other facilities with peak demand exceeding 50 megawatts, to the national power grid. Under this bill, these large load customers must pay the full cost for any grid upgrades required to accommodate their connection and must demonstrate the ability to reduce or shift their electricity usage when the grid is stressed. The legislation also creates a formal queue system for interconnection requests, prioritizes facilities that use battery backup or hire apprentices, and requires owners to provide proof of financial commitment before proceeding. Additionally, the Department of Energy is tasked with collecting data on data center energy use to track trends and establish a research testbed for developing more efficient artificial intelligence technologies.
This bill directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to allow the use of standard commercial steel and concrete in non-safety parts of nuclear power plants within 90 days of enactment. The primary goal is to let plant operators use readily available building materials instead of specialized nuclear-grade supplies, which could lower costs and speed up construction. However, the agency retains the authority to reject this approach if it determines that using standard materials would compromise public safety or national security. Ultimately, the law shifts the default material requirements for non-critical plant structures while keeping the final safety decision with the regulator.
The Critical Mineral and Extraction Tax Parity Act expands a federal tax credit for advanced manufacturing to include eleven new critical minerals, such as boron, copper, and uranium, while also adding specific rules for phosphate. It allows companies that extract ore in the United States to claim these credits for the extraction costs themselves, provided they certify that the ore is refined into a qualifying mineral and sold to an unrelated buyer. Additionally, the bill removes a previous penalty that reduced tax credit amounts for metallurgical coal, ensuring these materials receive the same financial support as other critical minerals. These changes are designed to encourage domestic production and processing of essential raw materials and will take effect for minerals produced and sold after December 31, 2025.
The Offshore Parity Act of 2026 grants the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama greater control over offshore resources by expanding their jurisdiction to three marine leagues in the Gulf of Mexico. Under this bill, the Secretary of the Interior would delegate authority to these states to manage oil, gas, and other energy activities on the newly included lands, provided the states demonstrate they have the resources and administrative capacity to do so. The legislation also allows these states to set their own rental rates and royalties for new leases while retaining federal oversight for endangered species and national security matters. Additionally, the act extends state management powers to fisheries in the same expanded area, enabling local oversight of fishing resources within these new boundaries.
This bill, the Protect Domestic Oil and Gas Small Business Act of 2026, exempts small oil and gas wells from certain federal air quality standards and reporting requirements under the Clean Air Act. It defines a "marginal well" as one producing 15 barrels of oil or less per day, or 90,000 cubic feet of natural gas or less per day, and removes obligations for monitoring, leak detection, and emissions testing for these sites. The legislation also mandates that the EPA approve state plans excluding marginal wells within 180 days and must terminate any ongoing enforcement actions against such wells. Additionally, the EPA is required to update its regulations within 180 days of the bill's enactment to implement these new exemptions.
The Data Infrastructure Risk Reduction Act directs the Department of Homeland Security to identify data centers that should be classified as critical infrastructure within 180 days of enactment. This directive requires the agency to evaluate the security of power and water supplies connected to these facilities and assess the potential impact of their locations near residential communities. Following this assessment, the Department must submit a strategy to Congress outlining how to defend these sites from breaches and protect nearby neighborhoods. The law applies to federal agencies responsible for cybersecurity and infrastructure security, specifically focusing on data centers as defined by existing energy legislation.
