WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) and 120 House Democrats this week introduced the Energy Bills Relief Act, legislation aimed at lowering rising energy costs by expanding renewable energy and modernizing the electric grid to meet rising demand.
"Arizonans are being squeezed by rising energy costs — and Washington has made it worse. Electricity rates have surged as the Trump Administration cancelled clean energy projects and eliminated the tax credits that were actually keeping bills affordable,” Stanton said. “As we head into another scorching Arizona summer, Congress has a responsibility to act. The Energy Bills Relief Act is about putting families first: lowering costs, strengthening reliability, and building a cleaner, more resilient energy system for the long haul."
The Energy Bills Relief Act prioritizes consumers and ensures access to low-cost energy for our homes, businesses, and economy by:
- Reinstating tax credits for home and system-wide energy improvements ended by President Trump and Congressional Republicans
- Incentivizing utility companies to make their systems more efficient, saving consumers’ money
- Providing financial assistance to help families avoid utility shutoffs
- Cracking down on price gouging to stop energy companies from taking advantage
- Ensuring that large facilities, such as data centers, cover their own energy costs.
- Expanding community input so Americans benefit from local energy projects.
Text of the Energy Bills Relief Act can be found HERE.
This bill is a continuation of Stanton’s work to lower costs for Arizona families. Last month, he joined the 115-member New Democrat Coalition to unveil their Affordability Agenda, a policy roadmap focused on reducing the five biggest expenses for working families: health care, housing, energy, family care, and everyday essentials like groceries.
The agenda calls for several policies to lower energy costs for Americans, including:
- Reforming permitting rules to make it faster and cheaper to build energy transmission and generation infrastructure.
- Ensuring energy is available and abundant by establishing a level playing field for all forms of energy.
- Reallocating electric grid costs to protect consumers from price hikes due to manufacturing and data center development.
- Investing in energy efficiency and home heating & cooling to lower residential energy costs.