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Policy Pulse Oct 29, 2026

Policy Pulse: State Energy and Environment, Oct. 16–29, 2026

By Lara Hillard
8 mins read

This week in brief: New Jersey’s Senate passed five energy bills on Oct. 22, including a 38-0 vote to ban secret deals over data center development. Pennsylvania’s governor signed two bills on utility and electrical work, and Puerto Rico lawmakers moved several measures to ease higher electric bills.

This is a two-week edition. With the Nov. 3 election days away, Quorum recorded bill activity in 17 legislatures, including D.C. and Puerto Rico. Energy and environment bills saw action in nine of them, including early drafting for 2027 in Montana and Nevada.

Data centers: disclosure, studies and clean power rules

Lawmakers in three states moved bills on how data centers get approved, powered and shut down.

  • New Jersey S 4304 would ban agreements meant to hide information about data center development under the state’s land use law. It passed the Senate 38-0 on Oct. 22.
  • Pennsylvania HR 630 directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study how data centers are decommissioned and recommend next steps. The House adopted it 203-0 on Oct. 20.
  • Pennsylvania HB 2674 would define commercial data centers with 25 megawatts or more of peak demand and keep them out of the legal definition of a public utility. It passed the House 202-1 on Oct. 19.
  • Illinois HB 5826, the Data Center Energy Accountability Act, would require data centers with 5 megawatts or more of demand to match 100% of their in-state electricity use with carbon-free energy credits, starting in 2028. Data centers that fall short would pay into a new state fund. Rep. Jay Hoffman filed it Oct. 19.
  • New Jersey A 5663 would pause new data center construction until the state’s environmental agency finishes a study of their impacts. A separate bill, A 5646, would require data centers to file annual reports and create a public Data Center Transparency Dashboard. Both were introduced Oct. 19.

Utility bills and who pays

Affordability drove the most floor votes in this window.

  • New Jersey S 3225 would bar public utilities from charging certain surcharges and fees. It passed the Senate 39-0 on Oct. 22.
  • New Jersey S 4677 would require electric utilities to tell customers about the Residential Universal Bill Credit. It passed the Senate 39-0 on Oct. 22.
  • New Jersey S 4374 would expand automatic enrollment in utility bill payment assistance programs. It passed the Senate 28-9 on Oct. 22.
  • District of Columbia B26-0243, the Automatic Enrollment for Utility Affordability Programs Act, was approved on final reading by the D.C. Council on Oct. 20 and sent to the mayor on Oct. 28.
  • Pennsylvania HB 2866 would charge a fee on energy consumption taxpayers and return the money to ratepayers through a new Energy Ratepayer Protection Fund. It was introduced and sent to the House Energy Committee on Oct. 20.
  • Pennsylvania HB 2584 would require the Public Utility Commission to build a public, searchable database of the rates it oversees, with at least 20 years of rate increase requests. It passed the House 203-0 on Oct. 20.
  • Pennsylvania HB 2867 would provide supplemental payments to households eligible for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), plus emergency utility payments. It was introduced and sent to the House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee on Oct. 28.
  • Virginia SB 4001 would suspend Virginia’s participation in RGGI. Money the state collected under the program would go to electric utilities, which would pass it to customers as a bill credit. It was introduced on Oct. 21 in the 2026 special session and sent to the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee.

Puerto Rico: responding to higher power bills

Fuel and purchased-power charges on Puerto Rico electric bills rose Oct. 1. Lawmakers moved several measures in response.

  • Puerto Rico P. de la C. 133 would require payment plans for overdue water and electric bills to match what customers can afford. The Senate approved it on Oct. 26.
  • Puerto Rico R. C. del S. 168 would direct the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau to start writing a new rule, within 90 days, for connecting power generation systems to the grid. The House approved it on Oct. 22.
  • Puerto Rico R. C. de la C. 425 would create a Temporary Energy Cost Relief Program, with $60 million for one-time credits on the power bills of low-income households and small businesses. It was filed Oct. 21.
  • Puerto Rico R. C. del S. 229 would move $131.65 million from an emergency reserve fund to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to cover fuel costs the Energy Bureau approved Sept. 30. A related bill, P. del S. 1599, would let Puerto Rico’s Emergency Fund offset quarterly fuel cost increases. Both were filed Oct. 26.

New power supply

  • New Jersey S 4729 would change the location limits for solar projects in the state’s community solar program. It passed the Senate 39-0 on Oct. 22.
  • New Jersey S 4849, the Micro-Reactor Incentive Act, would direct the Board of Public Utilities to seek proposals to build small nuclear reactors in the state. It was introduced and sent to the Senate Environment and Energy Committee on Oct. 19.
  • Pennsylvania SR 374 directs the Joint State Government Commission to study the role of the state’s conventional oil and natural gas industry in meeting rising energy demand. It cleared committee on Oct. 21.
  • Pennsylvania HB 1667 would create a residential clean energy tax credit and an Energy Ratepayer Protection Fund, along with other tax changes. On Oct. 19, the House voted 193-10 to accept the Senate’s changes with further amendments, which sends the bill back to the Senate.

Utility and electrical workers

  • Pennsylvania SB 1328 requires automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at utility and electrical worksites. The House passed it 197-6 on Oct. 21, and the governor signed it into law on Oct. 22. New York lawmakers introduced a similar bill, S 10725, on Oct. 23.
  • Pennsylvania SB 1260 creates state licenses for electricians and electrical contractors and sets up a State Board of Electrical Licensure. The Senate agreed to House changes 41-9 on Oct. 21, and the governor signed it into law on Oct. 22.

Water, heat and natural resources

  • New York S 10045 extends the Department of Environmental Conservation’s power to limit the taking of fish, shellfish and crustaceans in special management areas. The governor signed it into law on Oct. 23.
  • New Jersey A 5707, the Clean Water and Safe Communities Bond Act, would authorize $5 billion in bonds. It was introduced Oct. 22. A separate bill, S 4856, would create a Water Conservation and Reuse Study Commission. It was introduced Oct. 19.
  • District of Columbia B26-0285 would require landlords who provide air conditioning to keep it working from May 1 to Oct. 1, cooling rooms to 78°F or to 15°F below the outdoor temperature, whichever is higher. It would apply starting April 1, 2027. The D.C. Council sent it to the mayor on Oct. 26.

Drafting for 2027

Two states with no 2026 session are already preparing energy bills for next year. Their draft requests list a topic only, with bill text to come.

  • Montana lawmakers filed requests for three data center bills (LC 845, LC 846 and LC 847) on Oct. 27 and two energy ratemaking bills (LC 813 and LC 816) on Oct. 23.
  • Nevada Sen. Titus requested two solar energy bill drafts, BDR 619 and BDR 620, on Oct. 22. Separately, SB 11, prefiled Oct. 28, would revise how the state cancels permits to use water.

What to watch

D.C.’s mayor faces two deadlines: Nov. 9 for B26-0285 on rental housing temperatures and Nov. 12 for B26-0243 on automatic enrollment in utility aid. New Jersey’s five Senate-passed bills now go to the Assembly. In Pennsylvania, HB 1667 heads back to the Senate, where HB 2584 and HB 2674 also wait for action. In Virginia, watch whether SB 4001 gets a committee hearing before the special session ends.

Quick answers

Which states moved data center bills in October 2026?

New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois moved bills, and Montana lawmakers requested data center bill drafts for 2027. New Jersey’s Senate passed a ban on secret data center development deals. Pennsylvania’s House passed a bill that would keep large data centers from being treated as public utilities and adopted a study on decommissioning. Illinois lawmakers filed a bill requiring data centers to match their power use with carbon-free energy.

What is New Jersey doing about utility bills?

On Oct. 22, the New Jersey Senate passed three bills that would ban certain utility surcharges and fees, require utilities to tell customers about a bill credit, and expand automatic enrollment in payment assistance programs.

Is Virginia leaving the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative?

A bill filed Oct. 21, SB 4001, would suspend Virginia’s participation and return program revenue to customers as a utility bill credit. It has been introduced and sent to committee but has not had a vote.

How is Puerto Rico responding to higher electric bills?

Lawmakers filed at least five measures after fuel and purchased-power charges on electric bills rose Oct. 1. The Senate approved P. de la C. 133 on Oct. 26, which would base payment plans for overdue water and power bills on what customers can afford. Other measures would fund one-time bill credits or use emergency money to cover fuel costs.

Data: Quorum legislative tracking, Oct. 16–29, 2026 (pulled Oct. 29). Track bills like these with Quorum State.