WASHINGTON, DC – Last night, Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08) announced that his bipartisan legislation, the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, passed the House of Representatives. The legislation, introduced in June with Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12), would help protect families and strengthen grid planning amid rapidly growing energy demand due to AI data centers.
“Families across America are facing rapidly rising utility bills as a result of unprecedented strain on our power grids, including increased demand from AI data centers,” said Congressman Menendez. “I am pleased that our legislation has passed the House of Representatives and is one step closer to becoming law. We will continue working to lower energy costs for families, protect ratepayers, and ensure our electrical grid can meet growing needs.”
“To protect Americans from higher electric bills and make sure our grid can keep up with rising demand, we need to plan ahead,” said Congressman Balderson. “The bipartisan Load Forecasting Enhancement Act gives states and utilities the tools they need to better understand future electricity demand and prepare for it. I applaud my House colleagues for supporting this practical legislation and helping make electricity reliable and more affordable for American families.”
The bill directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) to convene regional joint boards with state public utility commissions to identify best practices for electric load forecasting. The legislation also requires FERC to report its findings and recommendations to Congress and encourages states to consider adopting improved forecasting procedures to support reliable, affordable electric service.
The United States is experiencing unprecedented growth in electricity usage and demand. At the same time, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment warns that much of North America faces a growing risk of energy shortfalls over the next five years, with PJM—the regional transmission organization serving New Jersey—classified as “high risk.” Accurate load forecasting is critical to ensuring that the electric grid can meet future demand without blackouts or forcing consumers to pay for unnecessary infrastructure.
In addition to directing FERC to develop recommendations for improving load forecasting, the legislation:
Congressman Menendez serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he has been a leader on tackling rising costs for families in New Jersey and across the country. He recently introduced legislation to address skyrocketing energy bills and the environmental impacts of AI data centers across the country. To learn more about his work, click here.
Full text of the bill can be found here.
