DATA Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a new category of power companies called consumer-regulated electric utilities. These companies would be completely exempt from federal energy laws as long as they stay disconnected from the national power grid.
• This mostly affects new companies building power systems for specific projects, like large data centers or remote industrial sites. These companies would not have to follow federal rules on pricing, financial reporting, or grid reliability.
• The goal is to allow technology and energy companies to build their own private power sources without the long delays and costs of federal red tape. It encourages systems that generate and use their own electricity independently.
• If one of these private power companies ever decides to plug into the main national grid, they immediately lose their special status. They would then have to follow all the same federal rules and standards as traditional utility companies.
• These independent companies would still be allowed to build their power lines along public roads. However, local governments could only review their plans for things like fixing the road afterward or responding to storms.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.