A bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a Federal standard relating to the recovery of the full, incremental costs of upgrades that serve large-load customers, and for other purposes.
Key claim: S5028 would amend PURPA of 1978 to establish a federal standard requiring recovery of the full incremental costs of electric utility upgrades that serve large-load customers.
Abstract
(S5028 · 119th Congress) Latest action (2026-07-16): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Why this matters
How the incremental costs of grid upgrades for hyperscale customers (data centers, industrial electrification, crypto) are allocated is a central emerging question for utility regulation, with billions in transmission and distribution investments at stake. A federal PURPA standard requiring full incremental cost recovery from the large-load customer would shift costs away from residential/small-business ratepayers and toward the entities driving new demand, affecting both electricity affordability and the economics of siting large loads.