Energy

The Fuel STAR Act of 2026 amends the Renewable Fuel Standard to limit the volume of non-advanced biofuel required each year to match projected domestic ethanol consumption. It extends the use of credits earned between 2020 and 2022 for compliance through five additional years, while prohibiting the use of electric vehicle credits. The bill also expands exemptions for small refineries by adding specific economic hardship criteria and requiring the EPA to automatically approve exemption requests if it fails to respond within 90 days. Furthermore, the legislation allows for the year-round sale of E15 fuel blends containing 10 to 15 percent ethanol by removing previous restrictions on Reid vapor pressure limitations.

The Colorado Wilderness Act of 2026 designates approximately 400,000 acres of public land in Colorado as new wilderness areas and expands existing ones, primarily managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. These designations permanently protect the land from roads, motorized vehicles, and most commercial development, while allowing activities like hiking, fishing, and hunting. The bill also establishes specific rules for water rights, prohibiting new irrigation facilities in the new wilderness areas while maintaining access to existing water infrastructure, and clarifies that military helicopter overflights and certain running events may continue under specific conditions.

This bill increases the corporate tax rate on stock buybacks to 25 percent for large oil and gas companies that meet specific revenue and operational criteria. It targets corporations with an average annual gross receipt of at least $1 billion that are primarily engaged in producing, refining, processing, transporting, or distributing oil or natural gas. The higher tax rate applies only to stock repurchases made after the bill is enacted and before gasoline prices fall below $2.937 per gallon for five consecutive weeks. If gasoline prices drop below this threshold, the special tax provision ceases to apply, and companies may claim a partial reduction in their tax liability based on the duration of the high-price period.

The CHARGE Act prohibits the sale, import, or distribution of electric vehicles and related equipment manufactured by foreign entities of concern, specifically targeting Chinese companies. To enforce this, the bill adds new definitions to U.S. law that classify vehicles using specific Chinese-made power control components as noncompliant. The legislation aims to protect the national electrical grid from potential disruptions caused by unregulated remote software updates and coordinated attacks from adversarial manufacturers. By restricting these imports, the bill seeks to prevent vulnerabilities that could lead to power outages or damage to connected devices.

This legislation modifies the Federal Power Act to restrict the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's ability to issue emergency orders for power generation facilities. It requires the Commission to consider alternatives that minimize environmental impacts and conduct public hearings before acting. The bill also prohibits orders that would delay the retirement or permanent closure of a facility unless a unique emergency exists and is formally requested. Furthermore, it mandates that utilities inform customers about the costs and impacts of any emergency orders issued under these rules.

The RESCUE Act directs the President to develop a strategy for reducing United States reliance on Russian nuclear energy and assisting allies in ending their dependence on Rosatom. It mandates sanctions against foreign entities owned or controlled by the Russian government that operate in the nuclear energy sector, blocking transactions involving their property within the United States. The legislation includes exceptions for medical isotopes, humanitarian aid, and UN activities, with the sanctions authority set to expire seven years after enactment. Additionally, the bill requires the President to submit annual strategies and reports to Congress regarding the implementation of these measures and the status of the US-Russia nuclear cooperation agreement.

This resolution provides for the consideration of the bill (H.R. 4690) to amend the Energy Conservation and Production Act to repeal certain Federal building energy efficiency performance standards, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 1182) expressing support for rural communities across the United States as stewards of the environment, major suppliers of United States energy resources, critical providers of food production and manufacturing capacity, and drivers of national economic stability, and recognizing the work of the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress in support of those vital communities; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1897) to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to optimize conservation through resource prioritization, incentivize wildlife conservation on private lands, provide for greater incentives to recover listed species, create greater transparency and accountability in recovering listed species, streamline the permitting process, eliminate barriers to conservation, and restore congressional intent; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5587) to amend the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to waive the requirement for a Federal drilling permit for certain activities, to exempt certain activities from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and for other purposes.

This bill, titled the "End Polluter Welfare for Enhanced Oil Recovery Act of 2026," eliminates federal tax credits related to enhanced oil recovery (EOR). It directly affects oil and gas companies that utilize or plan to utilize EOR methods. Specifically, the bill strikes Section 43 of the Internal Revenue Code, thereby ending the existing Enhanced Oil Recovery Credit. Furthermore, for new facilities constructed after the bill's enactment, it removes eligibility for the carbon capture tax credit (Section 45Q) when captured carbon oxide is used for enhanced oil recovery. These changes discontinue tax incentives that support specific oil extraction techniques.

This joint resolution aims to disapprove and nullify a specific rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It directly affects the EPA's ability to implement its recent changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. The bill utilizes the Congressional Review Act to block the EPA's rule, which set biofuel blending standards for 2026 and 2027 and included a partial waiver for 2025 cellulosic biofuel volumes. If passed and signed into law, this resolution would prevent the EPA's new RFS program standards and related provisions from taking effect, thereby maintaining the prior regulatory framework.

Gasoline Export Ban Act of 2026 This bill prohibits the exportation of gasoline produced in the United States during certain periods of high gasoline prices. Specifically, the bill directs the President to prohibit the exportation of gasoline produced in the United States during periods when the average price for gasoline in the United States has been equal to or higher than $3.12 per gallon for each of the preceding seven days. The President may exempt from the prohibition exports of gasoline as the President determines to be consistent with the national interest and the purposes of the bill.