The DATA Act of 2026 amends federal electricity regulations to exempt a new category of electric utilities called consumer-regulated electric utilities (CREUs) from most federal oversight. These are newly created, self-contained power systems that serve new electricity loads and are physically disconnected from the national power grid and existing utilities. The bill allows CREUs to generate, transmit, distribute, and sell electricity without federal regulation from agencies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, without complying with federal reliability standards, and without needing approval for mergers or rate changes. CREUs can use public rights-of-way for their facilities under the same terms as traditional utilities, though reviews are limited to restoration and storm-response planning. The exemptions end immediately if a CREU chooses to connect to the bulk power system, at which point it becomes subject to all applicable federal regulations.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.