House passes Rep. Balderson's bill to lower energy costs for Ohioans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the bipartisan Load Forecasting Enhancement Act (H.R. 9332), led by Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12), chairman of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT). 

The legislation will help protect ratepayers and strengthen grid planning as electricity demand continues to rise.

The United States is experiencing unprecedented growth in electricity demand, driven by expanding manufacturing, electrification, and emerging technologies. At the same time, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment warns that much of North America faces a growing risk of energy shortfalls over the next five years, with PJM, the regional transmission organization serving Ohio, classified as “high risk.”

“To protect Americans from higher electric bills and make sure our grid can keep up with rising demand, we need to plan ahead,” said Balderson. “The bipartisan Load Forecasting Enhancement Act gives states and utilities the tools they need to better understand future electricity demand and prepare for it. I applaud my House colleagues for supporting this practical legislation and helping make electricity reliable and affordable for Ohio families.”

The House today also passed the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 9340), legislation that ensures the companies building large-scale data centers are responsible for the electricity and grid infrastructure costs associated with powering them, rather than shifting those costs onto hardworking Americans.

This bill would require state utility commissions to consider large-load standards for data centers drawing more than 100 megawatts, helping ensure these facilities pay for the costs of the electricity they use. Together with the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, the legislation gives states and utilities better tools to plan for growing electricity demand while protecting families and small businesses from increased costs.

Load Forecasting Enhancement Act Background

The Load Forecasting Enhancement Act would direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to convene regional joint boards with state public utility commissions to study and identify best practices for electric load forecasting. The legislation would also require FERC to report its findings and recommendations to Congress and encourage states to consider adopting improved forecasting procedures to support reliable and affordable electric service.

In addition to directing FERC to develop recommendations for improving load forecasting, the legislation would amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) to encourage state consideration of those recommendations. The bill would also update the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to promote greater accuracy, oversight, and transparency in utility forecasting practices.

The Load Forecasting Enhancement Act now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.