The Waste Heat to Wattage Act of 2026 expands the definition of renewable energy under federal farm policy to include waste energy recovery—the practice of capturing heat or pressure that would otherwise be lost from industrial, commercial, or residential processes and converting it to electricity. The bill amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to officially recognize waste heat-to-power and waste pressure-to-power systems as qualifying renewable energy sources. This change primarily affects agricultural operations, industrial facilities, and other businesses that generate waste heat and may want to participate in federal renewable energy programs or incentives. The legislation creates a clear legal framework for these systems but does not specify new funding amounts or implementation timelines in the provided text. By treating captured waste energy as renewable energy, the bill aims to encourage efficiency improvements and electricity generation across multiple economic sectors.
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