Grid reliability and load flexibility laws by state

108 bills on grid reliability and load flexibility in 38 jurisdictions, 16 of them enacted in 2025 and 2026. The laws come first, with what each requires, then the bills that moved most recently.

  • 16 laws enacted in 2025 and 2026, in 11 states. Most: Delaware (4), California (2), Indiana (2).
  • 108 bills in 38 jurisdictions, 5 of them in Congress. Latest action 13 October 2026.

Updated 2 November 2026LawsRecent billsBy state

Enacted in 2025 and 2026

16 laws, by state. Laws enacted before 2025 are not listed.

California

  • Enacted

    AB 2266: Electricity: load-serving entities.

    On and after January 1, 2030, the Public Utilities Commission must use the same capacity valuation method when setting resource adequacy and resource procurement obligations for load-serving entities. By January 1, 2030, the commission must consolidate plans submitted by load-serving entities into a single procurement plan and consolidate compliance reporting when feasible.

    Takes effect 1 January 2027

  • Enacted

    AB 2476: Electricity: integrated resource plans: Department of Water Resources: procurement.

    The Department of Water Resources may procure eligible energy resources from pump hydroelectric facilities not exceeding 500 megawatts before January 1, 2035, upon request from the Public Utilities Commission. The bill eliminates the prior requirement that such facilities be directly appropriated state funding before January 1, 2023.

    Takes effect 1 January 2027

Delaware

  • Enacted

    HB 233: An act to amend title 26 of the delaware code relating to large energy use facilities.

    Commission-regulated electric utilities must not provide distribution service to large energy use facilities unless the facility has entered into a Commission-approved Electric Service Agreement. Large energy use facilities may procure electric supply service from certified electric suppliers and cannot be required to purchase from the utility. ESAs must include specified protective provisions and cannot restrict procurement from certified suppliers.

  • Enacted

    HB 445: An act to amend title 26 and title 29 of the delaware code relating to large energy use facilities.

    Large energy use facilities may not operate in Delaware unless they produce sufficient power in-state to support operations, meeting renewable energy portfolio standards or using nuclear power. Facilities must submit a plan to reach 100% in-state energy production within 10 years, cannot connect to the grid until 25% is online, and must enter a 30-year binding contract with the Public Service Commission.

  • Enacted

    SB 308: An act to amend title 26 of the delaware code relating to the load forecast accountability act.

    Amends the Load Forecast Accountability Act to require the Delaware Public Service Commission to consider four specific factors when investigating electric distribution companies' load forecast methodologies: project development status, ramping schedules, duplicative interconnection requests, and customer financial commitments.

  • Enacted

    SB 276: An act to amend title 26 of the delaware code relating to electric utilities.

Idaho

  • Enacted

    H 911: PUBLIC UTILITIES – Adds to existing law to provide for new large loads.

    Public utilities must obtain commission approval before providing service to new large loads. Service contracts must include a no harm test demonstrating the load maintains service quality and funds its full cost of service. New large loads must provide financial security to protect against stranded costs.

    Took effect 1 July 2026

Indiana

  • Enacted

    HB 1007: Energy generation resources.

    Taxpayers making qualified investments in small modular nuclear reactor manufacturing in Indiana must claim a tax credit equal to ten percent of qualified investment against state tax liability. Energy utilities must obtain Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approval before acquiring generation resources to meet load growth exceeding five percent of average peak demand or 150 megawatts, or before serving large load customers requiring over 500 million dollars capital investment.

    Took effect 1 July 2025

  • Enacted

    SB 431: Construction of data center by foreign adversary.

    After June 30, 2025, a foreign company may not construct or cause to be constructed a data center in Indiana unless the Indiana utility regulatory commission and the Indiana economic development corporation conduct a joint study and certify that the data center's electricity will be self-generated and will not affect the load supply of MISO or PJM.

    Took effect 1 July 2025

Kansas

  • Enacted

    SB 92: Extending the expiration date for provisions that authorize an electric utility to not offer parallel generation service to certain large load customers and exempt certain large load customers from the determination of the utility's peak demand.

    Every utility providing retail electric service in Kansas must enter into parallel generation service contracts with customers in good standing who wish to connect listed distributed energy systems to export excess power to the utility's system. Utilities must compensate customers for exported energy at not less than 100% of monthly avoided cost, except utilities may use locational marginal price or monthly system average cost through July 1, 2030.

Maine

  • Enacted

    LD 912: An Act To Address The Use Of Electricity By Data Centers

    A generation service provider may not provide to data centers in the State a cumulative amount of electricity in a calendar year that exceeds 25% of the total electricity sold by that generation service provider to all of its customers in the State in that calendar year. Generation service providers must file quarterly reports with the commission identifying each data center served, electricity sold to each data center that quarter, and other information the commission requires.

North Dakota

  • Enacted

    HB 1579: AN ACT to provide for a legislative management study relating to the impact of large energy consumers on the state's electrical grid.

    Data centers owned by investor-owned utilities that consume twenty megawatts or more of energy may not begin construction or operation without first obtaining a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the public service commission. Cooperative-operated data centers are exempt from this requirement.

South Carolina

  • Enacted

    S 163: Cryptocurrency

    Governing authorities must not accept, require, or test central bank digital currency. Digital asset mining businesses must not place additional stress on electrical grids and must provide power purchase agreements to the Public Service Commission upon request. Money transmitter licenses are not required for digital asset mining, node operation, blockchain software development, or digital asset exchanges without legal tender conversion.

South Dakota

  • Enacted

    SB 135: protect residents from increased utility costs and utility shortages caused by data centers and clarify authority to regulate data centers.

    Providers of electricity must establish separate terms and conditions for data centers with peak demand of ten megawatts or greater, requiring data centers to reimburse all costs fairly attributed to service demand and consumption. Operators of data centers must notify local water providers of projected water consumption and submit semi-annual water usage reports to the Board of Water Management.

    Took effect 1 July 2026

Texas

  • Enacted

    SB 6: Relating to the planning for, interconnection and operation of, and costs related to providing service for certain electrical loads and to the generation of electric power by a water supply or sewer service corporation.

    Large load customers in ERCOT requesting new or expanded interconnection exceeding 75 megawatts must disclose whether they are pursuing substantially similar requests elsewhere that would materially change their interconnection request. Interconnecting utilities must pass through reasonable interconnection costs to large load customers. Large load customers must disclose on-site backup generating facilities capable of serving at least 50 percent of on-site demand.

Virginia

  • Enacted

    SB 1449: Data centers; site assessment for high energy use facility.

    Prior to approving a rezoning application, special exception, or special use permit for a new high energy use facility requiring 100 megawatts or more of electrical power, a locality shall require the applicant to perform and submit a site assessment examining the sound profile on residential units and schools within 500 feet of the facility property boundary.

Bills that moved most recently

The 25 open grid reliability and load flexibility bills with the latest action. The Data Centers and Energy Load Tracker follows all 108.

  • Pennsylvania HB 2535: An Act providing for the public safety regulation of large load users; requiring the submission of emergency operations plans and generalized infrastructure inventories as a condition of occupancy; protecting confidential security information; and providing for enforcement and penalties.

    What it would do: Requires large load users (data centers with 25+ megawatts peak demand) to submit emergency operations floor plans and generalized infrastructure inventories to local fire officials before receiving certificates of occupancy, with annual updates and penalties up to $10,000 for non-compliance.

    Passed chamber

  • New Jersey A 4801: Establishes certain protections against demand by large-load addition customers in State.

    What it would do: Prohibits costs and obligations related to large-load addition customers from being passed to non-large-load customers. Requires large-load addition customers to bear curtailment obligations and provide financial security ensuring reliability procurement costs do not transfer to other New Jersey customers.

    Passed chamber

  • Congress H.R. 10579: Energy Cost Fairness and Reliability Act of 2026

    What it would do: Amends the Federal Power Act to require FERC to establish interconnection procedures for large load facilities (over 50 megawatts) seeking transmission system access, including requirements for demand flexibility, new generation resources, cost responsibility for studies and network upgrades, and labor standards for prioritized projects.

    In committee

  • Michigan HB 6251: Businesses: other; energy infrastructure and thermal management evaluation requirements for certain data centers; provide for. Creates new act.

    In committee

  • Michigan HB 6264: Businesses: other; clean and renewable energy requirements for data centers; provide for. Creates new act.

    What it would do: Requires data center owners or operators to procure clean or renewable energy equivalent to 100% of annual energy use by January 1, 2040, through on-site generation, power purchase agreements, or commission-approved instruments. Imposes civil fines up to $10,000 per day for violations.

    In committee

  • Congress S. 5199: GRID Savings Act of 2026

    What it would do: Amends the Federal Power Act to grant the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission jurisdiction over interconnection of large loads (150+ megawatts) to transmission systems and requires the Commission to establish standards and procedures for such interconnections within one year, including cost allocation and financial security requirements.

    In committee

  • Virginia HB 1379: Electric utilities; interconnection service standards, high-demand customers.

    What it would do: Requires the Commission to establish interconnection service standards for electric utilities serving high-demand customers with peak demand of 60 megawatts or greater, including requirements for on-site backup zero-carbon generation facilities serving at least 50 percent of new customers' peak demand and 20 percent for existing customers by January 1, 2032.

    In committee

  • Virginia HB 591: Data centers; policy of the Commonwealth.

    Passed chamber

  • Virginia SB 336: Tier 2 emergency generators; SCC shall evaluate impact of requiring data centers to limit use, etc.

    What it would do: Directs the State Air Pollution Control Board to amend regulations on data center emergency generators to limit Tier 2 generators to sudden outages only, require existing permitted data centers to retrofit 20 percent annually to Tier 4 equivalent or better over five years, and require new data centers to use only Tier 4 equivalent or better generators.

    Passed chamber

  • Virginia SB 466: Electric utilities; cost recovery, costs substantially related to serving data center customers.

    What it would do: Amends Virginia's electric utility rate regulation to prohibit allocating costs of electric distribution infrastructure primarily serving data center loads to other customers, requiring such costs be recovered solely from the data center customer.

    In committee

  • Massachusetts H 5175: An Act relative to energy affordability, clean power and economic competitiveness

    What it would do: Establishes clean energy procurement authority, creates solar and energy storage incentive programs, requires utility bill transparency dashboard, mandates smart solar permitting platforms, and implements offshore wind pre-development funding to advance Massachusetts' clean energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals.

    Passed chamber

  • Congress H.R. 9629: Protecting Communities from Data Center Impacts Act of 2026

    In committee

  • New Jersey S 4401: Requires BPU to conduct study on environmental, infrastructural, and financial impacts of data center development in State.

    In committee

  • Pennsylvania SB 1323: An Act providing for the regulation of commercial data centers; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the Department of Human Services and the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority; establishing the Data Center Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Enhancement Account and the Pennsylvania Energy Independence Account; providing for clean firm energy requirements, contract filing, commission review, disclosure requirements, backup generation standards, curtailment standards and certification and expedited interconnection for commercial data centers bringing incremental clean firm energy resources; and imposing penalties.

    In committee

  • Congress S. 4559: Energy Cost Fairness and Reliability Act of 2026

    In committee

  • Colorado SB 102: Large-Load Data Centers

    What it would do: Establishes comprehensive regulatory framework for large-load data centers requiring operators to achieve 100% renewable energy annually and hourly matching percentages determined by the Public Utilities Commission, pay all infrastructure costs, contribute to demand-side management programs, optimize water use, and comply with labor standards and community benefit agreements in disproportionately impacted communities.

    Introduced

  • Missouri SB 1750: Creates provisions relating to the regulation of large load electric customers

    What it would do: Requires electrical corporations to develop tariffs ensuring large load facilities' rates reflect their representative cost share. Establishes disclosure, study, and financial requirements for large load facility operators, including minimum contract terms, collateral deposits, and annual contributions to low-income energy assistance programs.

    In committee

  • New Jersey A 4945: Requires BPU to conduct study on environmental, infrastructural, and financial impacts of data center development in State.

    In committee

  • North Carolina HB 1192: Energy and Housing Affordability Act.

    What it would do: Modifies fuel cost recovery for electric utilities by requiring an 80/20 cost-sharing mechanism between customers and shareholders for fuel cost variances. Establishes a Bring Your Own Generation program allowing large customers with 1+ MW peak demand to develop on-site generation and sell grid services. Appropriates $35 million to the Workforce Housing Loan Program for fiscal year 2026-2027.

    In committee

  • Minnesota HF 4888: New data center moratorium established, and Public Utility Commission required to submit a report.

    What it would do: Establishes a moratorium prohibiting the state or local governments from issuing permits for data centers until the Public Utility Commission submits a comprehensive report by July 1, 2027 assessing data center development scenarios, energy and water usage, economic impacts, and suitable locations.

    In committee

  • Colorado HB 1246: Consumer-Regulated Electric Utilities

    What it would do: Creates consumer-regulated electric utilities exempt from public utility regulation to serve new nonresidential loads, while requiring compliance with environmental, safety, building, and workplace laws. Such utilities cease exemption if they interconnect with the regulated electric grid.

    Introduced

  • Arkansas HR 1012: To authorize the introduction of a nonappropriation bill to regulate the impact on water usage and the electrical grid by blockchain networks and digital asset mining.

    What it would do: Authorizes introduction of a bill to amend the Arkansas Data Centers Act of 2023 and grant the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission and Arkansas Public Service Commission authority to monitor and regulate blockchain networks and digital asset mining operations based on water usage and electric grid impacts.

    In committee

  • North Carolina HB 1063: Ratepayer and Resource Protection Act.

    What it would do: Requires large data centers with peak demand of 40+ megawatts or annual water use exceeding one billion liters to obtain certificates of operation, install on-site clean generation offsetting 25% of peak demand, pay rates covering full marginal infrastructure costs, and comply with water use standards. Prohibits data centers from receiving state and local economic development incentives and sales tax exemptions.

    In committee

  • Hawaii HCR 206: Requesting the hawaii state energy office to convene a working group to study the potential impacts of large data centers on hawaii's electric utilities, ratepayers, natural resources, and climate goals.

    What it would do: Requests the Hawaii State Energy Office to convene a working group to study potential impacts of large data centers requiring five megawatts or more instantaneous demand on Hawaii's electric utilities, ratepayers, natural resources, and climate goals, with a report due twenty days before the 2027 legislative session.

    Passed chamber

  • Oklahoma SB 1488: Corporation Commission; establishing moratorium; requiring certain study.

    What it would do: Establishes a moratorium on building data centers with 100+ megawatt loads until November 1, 2029, and requires the Corporation Commission to study impacts on water supply, utility rates, and property values, then submit findings and recommendations to the Legislature.

    In committee

Grid reliability and load flexibility laws, state by state

Questions

Which states have grid reliability and load flexibility laws?

States that enacted grid reliability and load flexibility laws in 2025 and 2026: Delaware (4), California (2), Indiana (2), Idaho (1), Kansas (1), Maine (1), North Dakota (1), South Carolina (1), South Dakota (1), Texas (1) and Virginia (1). Laws enacted before 2025 are not listed here.

Which states have the most grid reliability and load flexibility bills?

New Jersey (15), Virginia (9), Maryland (8), Indiana (5) and Congress (5). In all, 108 bills in 38 jurisdictions, the latest action on 13 October 2026.

What do grid reliability and load flexibility bills cover?

Resource adequacy, load forecasting and planning for new large loads, demand response and curtailment during grid emergencies. Each enacted law above has a line on what it requires.

Is this legal advice?

No. Which bills count as grid reliability and load flexibility bills, and the line on what each law requires or each bill would do, are drafted by software and not reviewed by an attorney. Every bill links to the legislature’s own record: read the text before relying on it. The list covers bills from the 2025 and 2026 sessions.

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