Lummis Introduces Legislation to Modernize Rules for High-Power Grid Connections

June 17, 2026

Washington D.C. - Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) today introduced the POWER Up Act, legislation to establish clear, uniform federal rules for how massive electricity users - anything with the load of a city, like a large data center - connect to the interstate electrical transmission grid.

As demand from data centers, advanced manufacturing, and high-power industrial facilities continues to increase, projects drawing hundreds of megawatts or more are increasingly seeking direct access to the high-voltage grid. Today, these connections are handled through a patchwork of processes creating uncertainty and growing risks for reliability of the broader grid and potential costs to ratepayers.

"When a facility wants to draw as much power as a city, that is not an ordinary retail question. It is a grid question," said Lummis. "Ratepayers need a clear process, informed by best practices, clear rules, and clear accountability. That is what this bill provides. America is going to need more power for data centers, advanced manufacturing, and the next generation of industry. The question is whether we handle that growth with clear rules and reliable planning, or with confusion and delay. Massive demand is here, and America needs a framework that supports investment in our communities while protecting the grid and the people who rely on it every day."

Read the bill text here.

Background:

• Defines the threshold. A "large load facility" is any facility or co-located group of facilities with projected peak demand of 100 MW or more. FERC can adjust this threshold by rule if grid reliability requires it.
• Clarifies FERC jurisdiction. Interconnection of a large load to the transmission system is subject to the same "just and reasonable" standard that governs transmission service for generation under FPA Sections 205 and 206.
• Mandates a rulemaking. FERC must issue a final rule within 18 months establishing standardized procedures for large load interconnection, including procedures for hybrid facilities that combine on-site generation with grid-connected load at a single point of interconnection.
• Preserves state authority. Explicit carve-outs protect state and local jurisdiction over siting, permitting, construction, retail rates, local distribution, and generation. The bill touches only the transmission-level connection, and this makes that clear.

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