Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) has introduced legislation tackling rising energy costs in cooperation with 120 other House Democrats.
Rep. Stanton's Energy Bills Relief Act reinstates home energy tax credits that have been allowed to sunset under the Trump Administration, incentivizing efficiency among utility companies, and providing financial assistance to families to avoid energy shutoffs.
Other measures include efforts to prevent price gouging by energy companies, ensuring that large facilities like data centers pay for their own energy costs, and expanding input to better reflect individual communities' needs.
"Arizonans are being squeezed by rising energy costs — and Washington has made it worse," Rep. Stanton said in a press release. "Electricity rates have surged as the Trump Administration cancelled clean energy projects and eliminated the tax credits that were actually keeping bills affordable."
The Arizona congressman emphasized that with summer coming, "Congress has a responsibility to act. The Energy Bills Relief Act is about putting families first: lowering costs, strengthening reliability, and building a cleaner, more resilient energy system for the long haul."
Last April, Stanton urged the Trump Administration not to cut funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides utility bill assistance, air-conditioning repair funds, and emergency cooling support to low-income households.
The cuts were part of a larger rescissions package that primarily targeted overseas spending, but given Arizona's extreme heat, Stanton declared that "Congress appropriated $4.1 billion for LIHEAP for fiscal year (FY) 2025, and every dollar is important to continue this program. We demand you to continue this life-saving program at its full, Congressionally approved amount."
In August, Stanton introduced a bill reauthorizing the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane Exemption, which allows drivers of qualified electric and alternative-fuel vehicles to use high-occupancy vehicle lanes regardless of the number of passengers.
Such a bill, he argued, would not only "incentivize the transition to clean energy vehicles; it eases congestion for all drivers. But without a legislative fix, this common-sense policy will expire this year."
