Congresswoman Lee Introduces Legislation to Lower Energy Bills, Build Clean Energy Economy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) joined House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Clean Energy Deployment Task Force Co-Chairs Congressmen Sean Casten (IL-06) and Mike Levin (CA-49) to introduce the Energy Bills Relief Act, a family- and consumer-focused approach to United States energy policy that ensures Americans have access to the most reliable and low-cost source of power available – renewable energy.

“Every month, when Americans open their electric bills, they get a grim reminder of rising costs. Too many families are struggling to pay their bills. We can help lower utility costs by expanding access to cheaper, cleaner energy, including solar and geothermal right here in Nevada,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “America has the tools to power itself with abundant, reliable, renewable energy. This legislation is exactly what American families need to see costs go down, reliability go up, and to ensure our country’s electric grid can meet rising demand.”

The Energy Bills Relief Act includes Congresswoman Lee’s bipartisan SHINE Act — legislation which would make local permitting for residential solar and other home energy systems better, cheaper, and faster. It also prioritizes consumers and ensures access to low-cost energy for our homes, businesses, and economy

• Preventing this administration and future administrations from abusing federal permitting processes to block solar, wind, and other clean energy development,
• Reinstating tax credits for home and system-wide energy improvements that were ended by President Trump and Congressional Republicans,
• Incentivizing utility companies to save consumers’ money by rewarding them for making their systems more efficient, thereby lowering bills ,
• Providing financial assistance to American families to make sure their power isn’t shut off,
• Cracking down on price gouging, so energy companies can’t take advantage of hardworking Americans to boost their profits,
• Ensuring that facilities like data centers are paying for their own costs because it’s not fair for their expenses to be pushed onto Americans households,
• And giving a voice to the American people so they can benefit from energy projects in their community.

“Families are doing everything they can to get by, but still opening energy bills that keep climbing. Relief can’t come soon enough, especially as Nevadans brace for record-breaking heat that forces us to rely on air conditioning to stay safe. At the same time, the cheapest, most reliable energy solutions are being held back by politics in Washington, driving costs even higher. The Energy Bills Relief Act puts families first by ending attacks on affordable clean energy, strengthening our grid to meet growing demand, and unlocking Nevada’s abundant clean energy potential. In a state powered by sun, families should not have to choose between staying cool and making ends meet,” said Angelyn Tabalba, Deputy Director, Nevada Conservation League. 

“Families across America are struggling with ever-increasing energy prices. In the last year, electricity rates have soared, increasing by as much as 13% under the Trump Administration. We can point to any number of things that have driven those increases, but at the center of it is that our current energy policy prioritizes the interests of energy producers over the interests of energy consumers,” said Rep. Sean Casten. “It’s time to change that. The Energy Bills Relief Act is a consumer-focused approach that prioritizes expanding access to low-cost, clean energy. It lowers costs, increases reliability, and helps provide a livable planet we can pass to our children and grandchildren.”

“The Energy Bills Relief Act is the consumer-first energy policy that American families have been demanding. It lowers energy bills by putting affordability over profits, deploys the most affordable and reliable energy we have ever had, modernizes our electric grid, and ensures that data centers and large energy users pay their fair share instead of passing those costs onto families and small businesses,” said Rep. Mike Levin. “American families were promised lower energy costs. Instead, this Administration canceled clean energy projects that would have helped to meet rising demand, repealed the tax credits that were actually keeping costs down, and left families holding the bill. The Energy Bills Relief Act changes that equation entirely and delivers the real, comprehensive relief that families across this country deserve.” 

Text of the legislation can be found here, and a section-by-section can be found here.

For too long, U.S. energy policy has boosted the profits of energy producers at the expense of energy consumers. The Energy Bills Relief Act shifts the focus to lowering costs and increasing reliability for American homes and businesses by deploying more renewable energy. It is firmly rooted in the American values of choice and competition. It prioritizes consumers and ensures access to low-cost energy for our homes, businesses, and economy.

As southern Nevada’s sole representative on the House Natural Resources Committee, Congresswoman Lee is doing everything possible to protect Nevada’s public lands and parks, combat climate change, and build a clean energy economy.

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