The Ethics in Energy Act of 2025 prohibits large electric utilities and natural gas companies from charging customers (ratepayers) for their political influence activities, including lobbying, campaign contributions, advertising to shape public opinion, and trade association dues. The bill applies to major utilities—those with at least 1 million megawatt-hours in annual sales or equivalent major gas companies—and requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to establish new accounting rules and reporting requirements within 18 months of enactment. Utilities must submit detailed annual reports listing all political spending, and violations carry escalating penalties ranging from the cost of the disputed expense to triple that amount depending on the size, with no ability to pass those penalties back to customers; half of collected penalties go to ratepayers as rebates while the other half funds regulatory enforcement.
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