To provide financial and technical assistance to State utility commissions to improve the oversight and regulation of energy utilities and ensure the provision of safe and reliable energy utility services at just and reasonable rates, and for other purposes.

nonprofit organizations; (5) develop and implement alternatives to existing rate design structures, which may include-- (A) energy affordability programs, including percentage-of-income payment programs and arrears management programs; and (B) rate structures that better align energy utility incentives with customer outcomes, including performance-based rate structures that may seek to incentivize predetermined, measurable targets for peak demand reduction, energy efficiency, customer engagement and information access, affordability (including reductions in arrears or disconnections), customer enrollment in energy affordability or efficiency programs, or public policy goals of the State; and (6) improve coordination among State agencies, energy utilities, community action agencies, and other relevant organizations to reduce barriers for residential and small business energy utility customers to access energy utility bill assistance, weatherization assistance, and other incentive programs. (c) Allocation of Financial Assistance to States.--The Secretary shall determine a formula to allocate financial assistance to States under the program established under subsection (a), which may be-- (1) based on the population of each State, the amount of energy used in each State, the price of energy in each State, or the number of residential and small business energy utility customers within each State determined to have a high percentage of gross household income spent on energy utility costs or otherwise struggling with energy affordability, provided that each State receives not less than 1 percent of funding made available under this section; or (2) adopted from an existing formula utilized by the Secretary to allocate financial assistance to States. (d) Maintenance of Effort.--Each State receiving financial assistance under the program established under subsection (a) shall provide reasonable assurance to the Secretary that it has in effect policies and procedures designed to assure that such financial assistance will be used to supplement, and not to supplant, State and other sources of funding for activities described in subsection (b). (e) Reporting.-- (1) In general.--Each year, each State receiving financial assistance under the program established under subsection (a) shall report to the Secretary, at a time and in a manner prescribed by the Secretary, the following information: (A) The uses of financial assistance received under such program, including how assistance has been used to-- (i) improve the technical and administrative capacities and capabilities of the relevant State utility commission; (ii) improve transparency of and participation in rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission, including efforts to improve outreach and engagement of residential and small business energy utility customers; (iii) support the administration of an office of public participation; (iv) support the administration of an independent public advocate; (v) support the administration of an intervenor funding program; and (vi) support the development of alternatives to existing rate design structures, including energy affordability programs and performance-based rate structures. (B) A description of energy utility rates within the State, including average bills of electric service and natural gas service for residential and small business customers, disaggregated by rate class, average delivery and supply costs, average fixed charge costs, and authorized return on equity for each energy utility regulated by the State utility commission. (C) A description of the outcomes of recent rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission. (D) A description of efforts to make public hearings, workshops, and State utility commission meetings, as well as the outcomes of such proceedings, more accessible to residential and small business energy utility customers. (E) A description of the participation of public advocates and other intervenors representing the interests of residential and small business energy utility customers in rate cases and other proceedings before the State utility commission. (F) Information on the availability and use of incentives, arrears management programs, and other programs administered by the State, energy utilities in the State, or third-parties in the State to reduce the percentage of gross household income residential and small business energy utility customers spend on energy utility costs within such State. (2) Public availability.-- (A) Reports.--The Secretary shall ensure all reports submitted by States under this subsection are posted online and available to the public. (B) Database.--Based on the reports required by this subsection, the Secretary shall direct the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration to publish and maintain a national database of energy utility rates, disaggregated by rate class, including residential, commercial, industrial, and any other rate class established by the relevant State utility commission, that is updated not less than once per year. The Administrator of the Energy Information Administration shall, to the extent practicable, coordinate with existing data collection efforts of the Energy Information Administration to avoid duplication of reporting burdens on States and energy utilities. (3) Failure to report.--Upon determining that a State receiving financial assistance under the program established under subsection (a) has failed to fulfill the reporting requirements of this subsection, the Secretary shall withhold future assistance to be allocated to such State under such program and redistribute future assistance to the remaining States. (f) Technical Assistance.-- (1) In general.--In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide information, recommendations, best practices, and other forms of technical assistance related to the consideration of rate cases, the design of rate structures, the design and implementation of energy affordability programs, and other matters that typically come before a State utility commission, to States, State utility commissions, energy utilities, and not-for-profit entities that own or operate distribution or transmission facilities to provide retail electric or natural gas services. (2) Education and training of commissioners, commission employees, and public advocates.-- (A) In general.--In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary may provide financial assistance to nonprofit organizations that have experience in providing educational and training opportunities for State utility commission commissioners, State utility commission employees, or public advocates to support the development and delivery of educational programs, curricula, workshops, conferences, and other convenings to train State utility commission commissioners, State utility commission employees, or public advocates on issues that may include rate case analysis, utility cost-of- service and rate design studies, analysis of appropriate return on equity, performance-based ratemaking, energy affordability, grid modernization, emerging energy technologies, and other issues that may come before a State utility commission. (B) Condition on assistance.--As a condition of receiving financial assistance under this paragraph, a nonprofit organization shall agree that any educational program, curriculum, workshop, conference, or other convening to be developed and delivered using such assistance will be developed and delivered without financial support from, or material direction or editorial control by, any entity regulated by a State utility commission, or by any trade association or other representative of such an entity. (3) Fellowship program.--In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary may provide financial assistance for recent graduates of academic institutions and energy professionals to temporarily work at State utility commissions, State energy offices, and public advocate offices to improve the technical and administrative capacities and capabilities of such State utility commissions and offices. (4) Funding set-aside.--The Secretary shall set-aside 10 percent of funding made available under this section for the purpose of carrying out this subsection. (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031. (h) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Energy utility.--The term ``energy utility'' means-- (A) a State regulated electric utility; and (B) a State regulated gas utility. (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy. (3) State.--The term ``State'' means a State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States. (4) State regulated electric utility.--The term ``State regulated electric utility'' has the meaning given such term in section 3(18) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2602(18)). (5) State regulated gas utility.--The term ``State regulated gas utility'' has the meaning given such term in section 302(3) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3202(3)). (6) State utility commission.--The term ``State utility commission'' means-- (A) with respect to the regulation of a State regulated electric utility, a State regulatory authority (as defined in section 3(17) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2602(17))); and (B) with respect to the regulation of a State regulated gas utility, a State regulatory authority (as defined in section 302(8) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. 3202(8))). <all>