119-hr4162

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4162 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4162

 To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to increase 
participation in community solar programs and the receipt of associated 
 benefits, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 26, 2025

 Ms. Castor of Florida (for herself, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Barragan, Ms. 
Bonamici, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, 
 Ms. Matsui, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Tonko) introduced the following bill; 
 which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
 addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to increase 
participation in community solar programs and the receipt of associated 
 benefits, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Community Solar Consumer Choice Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. COMMUNITY SOLAR CONSUMER CHOICE PROGRAM; FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 
 PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY SOLAR.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Community solar facility; community solar program; 
 subscriber.--The terms ``community solar facility'', 
 ``community solar program'', and ``subscriber'' have the 
 meanings given those terms in paragraph

    (22)
        (A) of 

section 111
            (d) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 
 (16 U.S.C. 2621
            (d) ).

    (2) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' 
 has the meaning given the term in 

section 2 of the Energy 
 Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).

    (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Energy.

    (b) Establishment of Community Solar Consumer Choice Program.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a program 
 to increase access to community solar programs for--
        (A) individuals, particularly individuals that do 
 not have regular access to onsite solar, including low- 
 and moderate-income individuals;
        (B) businesses;
            (C) nonprofit organizations; and
            (D) States and local and Tribal governments.

    (2) Alignment with existing federal programs.--The 
 Secretary shall align the program established under paragraph

    (1) with existing Federal programs that serve low-income 
 communities.

    (3) Assistance to state, local, and tribal governments.--In 
 carrying out the program established under paragraph

    (1) , the 
 Secretary shall--
        (A) provide technical assistance to State, local, 
 and Tribal governments, and other entities, for 
 projects to increase access to community solar 
 programs;
        (B) assist State, local, and Tribal governments in 
 the development of new and innovative financial and 
 business models, including affordable rate structures, 
 that leverage competition in the energy marketplace in 
 order to serve subscribers; and
            (C) use National Laboratories to collect and 
 disseminate data to assist private entities in the 
 financing of, subscription to, and operation of 
 community solar facilities and community solar 
 programs.
            (c) Federal Government Participation in Community Solar Programs.--
The Secretary, to the extent practicable, shall expand the existing 
grant, loan, and financing programs of the Department of Energy to 
include community solar programs.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--

Section 111
            (d) of the Public Utility Regulatory 
Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2621
            (d) ) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
 ``

    (22) Community solar programs.--
 ``
        (A) === Definitions. ===
-In this paragraph:
 ``
            (i) Community solar facility.--The term 
 `community solar facility' means a solar 
 photovoltaic system that--
 ``
            (I) allocates electricity to 
 multiple electric consumers served by 
 an electric utility;
 ``
            (II) is connected to local 
 distribution infrastructure of the 
 electric utility;
 ``
            (III) is located either on or off 
 the property of 1 or more subscribers; 
 and
 ``
            (IV) may be owned by an electric 
 utility, 1 more subscribers, or a third 
 party.
 ``
            (ii) Community solar program.--The term 
 `community solar program' means a service 
 provided by an electric utility to an electric 
 consumer served by the electric utility through 
 which the value of electricity generated by a 
 community solar facility may be used to offset 
 charges billed to the electric consumer by the 
 electric utility.
 ``
            (iii) Subscriber.--The term `subscriber' 
 means an electric consumer who participates in 
 a community solar program.
 ``
        (B) Standard.--
 ``
            (i) Non-tribal utilities.--Each electric 
 utility that is not a Tribal utility shall 
 offer a community solar program to which all 
 ratepayers of the electric utility, including 
 low-income ratepayers, have equitable and 
 demonstrable access.
 ``
            (ii) Tribal utilities.--
 ``
            (I) In general.--A Tribal utility 
 may offer a community solar program.
 ``
            (II) Resources.--A Tribal utility 
 that offers a community solar program 
 may leverage the resources made 
 available to the Tribal utility under 
 this Act to carry out that community 
 solar program.
 ``
            (C) Ownership of community solar facilities.--A 
 community solar program established pursuant to this 
 paragraph shall include a mechanism to allow electric 
 utilities, non-utilities, and other appropriate 
 entities to assume complete or partial ownership of 
 relevant community solar facilities, as necessary to 
 deliver customer benefits and mitigate the impacts of 
 market concentration.
 ``
            (D) Technical assistance and other guidance.--The 
 Secretary shall provide technical assistance and other 
 guidance necessary to carry out a community solar 
 program pursuant to this paragraph, including to State, 
 local, and Tribal governments, as appropriate.''.

    (b) Compliance.--

    (1) Time limitations.--

Section 112

    (b) of the Public Utility 
 Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2622

    (b) ) is 
 amended--
        (A) by indenting paragraphs

    (4) through

    (8) , and 
 any subparagraphs within those paragraphs, 
 appropriately; and
        (B) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (9)
        (A) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
paragraph, each State regulatory authority (with respect to each 
electric utility for which the State has ratemaking authority) and each 
nonregulated electric utility shall commence consideration under 

section 111, or set a hearing date for consideration, with respect to 
the standard established by paragraph

    (22) of 

section 111
            (d) .
 ``
        (B) Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this 
paragraph, each State regulatory authority (with respect to each 
electric utility for which the State has ratemaking authority), and 
each nonregulated electric utility shall complete the consideration and 
make the determination under 

section 111 with respect to the standard 
established by paragraph

    (22) of 

section 111
            (d) .''.

    (2) Failure to comply.--

Section 112
            (c) of the Public 
 Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2622
            (c) ) is 
 amended--
        (A) in the first sentence, by striking ``subsection

    (b)

    (2) '' and inserting ``subsection

    (b) ''; and
        (B) by adding at the end the following: ``In the 
 case of the standard established by paragraph

    (22) of 
 

section 111
            (d) , the reference contained in this 
 subsection to the date of enactment of this Act shall 
 be deemed to be a reference to the date of enactment of 
 that paragraph

    (22) .''.

    (3) Prior state actions.--
        (A) In general.--

Section 112 of the Public Utility 
 Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2622) is 
 amended--
            (i) in subsection

    (h) , in the subsection 
 heading, by striking ``Other''; and
            (ii) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (i) Prior State Actions.--Subsections

    (b) and
            (c) shall not apply 
to the standard established by paragraph

    (22) of 

section 111
            (d) in the 
case of any electric utility in a State if, before the date of 
enactment of this subsection--
 ``

    (1) the State has implemented for the electric utility 
 the standard (or a comparable standard);
 ``

    (2) the State regulatory authority for the State or the 
 relevant nonregulated electric utility has conducted a 
 proceeding to consider implementation of the standard (or a 
 comparable standard) for the electric utility; or
 ``

    (3) the State legislature has voted on the implementation 
 of the standard (or a comparable standard) for the electric 
 utility.''.
        (B) Cross-reference.--

Section 124 of the Public 
 Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 
 2634) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
 ``In the case of the standard established by paragraph

    (22) of 

section 111
            (d) , the reference contained in this 
 section to the date of enactment of this Act shall be 
 deemed to be a reference to the date of enactment of 
 that paragraph

    (22) .''.

SEC. 4. FEDERAL CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICES.

 

Section 501

    (b)

    (1) of title 40, United States Code, is amended by 
striking subparagraph
        (B) and inserting the following:
 ``
        (B) Public utility contracts.--A contract under 
 this paragraph for public utility services may be for a 
 period of not more than 30 years.''.
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