,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aadi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #g1        
#bjbe,mr4 ,van ,drew introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce 
,a ,,bill  ,to require retail electric  
utilities to notify electric consumers  
of rate increases1 and for other        
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,protecting ,our    
,wallets from ,excessive ,rates ,act or 
the ,,power ,act4  #b4 ,notification    
requirements for planned rate increases 
7a7 ,public ,notification and           
,justification ,requirement  7#a7       
,notification to electric consumers ,a  
retail electric utility that intends to 
increase any rate applicable to electric
 consumers shall1 in accordance with    
this subsection1 provide notification to
 electric consumers that will be        
impacted by the rate increase at least  
#cj days prior to implementing the rate 
increase4  7#b7 ,content of             

,notification ,a notification provided  
under paragraph 7#a7 shall include the  
following3 7,a7 ,a clear statement of   
the percentage of the rate increase4    
7,b7 ,a detailed breakdown of the       
reasons and justifications for the rate 
increase4  7,c7 ,an explanation of how  
the increased rate will impact the      
average electric consumer's bill4  7,d7 
,information on how electric consumers  
can provide feedback or file a complaint
 regarding the rate increase4  7#c7     
,methods of ,notification ,a retail     
electric utility shall provide          
notification under paragraph 7#a7 using 
multiple communication channels to      
ensure1 to the extent feasible1 that all
 impacted electric consumers are        
provided such notification1 including by
 providing notification by direct mail  
or email to such electric consumers1    
posting the notification on the retail  
electric utility's official website1 and
 publishing the notification in local   
newspapers and other local media        

outlets4  7#d7 ,penalties for           
,non-,compliance  7,a7 ,in general ,a   
retail electric utility that violates or
 fails or refuses to comply with the    
notification requirement under paragraph
 7#a7-- 7i7 shall be subject to a civil 
penalty in an amount not to exceed      
#aj1jjj2 and  7ii7 may not implement the
 applicable rate increase until such    
notification requirement is met4  7,b7  
,assessment ,a penalty under            
subparagraph 7,a7 shall be assessed by  
the ,federal ,energy ,regulatory        
,commission after notice and opportunity
 for public hearing4 ,in determining the
 amount of such a penalty1 the          
,commission shall take into             
consideration the nature and seriousness
 of the violation1 failure1 or refusal  
and the efforts of the retail electric  
utility to remedy the violation1        
failure1 or refusal in a timely manner4 
7b7 ,department of ,energy ,notification
 ,requirement  7#a7 ,notification ,a    
retail electric utility shall submit to 

the ,secretary of ,energy a notification
 of any planned rate increase of #e     
percent or more for any rate applicable 
to electric consumers1 at least #fj days
 prior to the implementation of such    
rate increase4  7#b7 ,content of        
notification ,a notification submitted  
under paragraph 7#a7 shall include--    
7,a7 identification of the percentage by
 which the rate will be increased2  7,b7
 a comprehensive justification for such 
rate increase1 including cost drivers   
and financial impact2  7,c7 an          
assessment of the potential impacts on  
electric consumers2 and  7,d7 any       
proposed mitigation measures to be taken
 by the retail electric utility4  7#c7  
,pre-implementation review by ,,doe ,the
 ,secretary of ,energy shall-- 7,a7 upon
 receiving a notification under this    
subsection1 review the justification    
described in paragraph 7#b77;,b72 and   
7,b7 not later than #cj days after      
receiving a notification under this     
subsection1 publish a report on the     

,secretary's findings regarding the     
applicable planned rate increase1       
including-- 7i7 an assessment of the    
potential impacts on electric consumers2
 and  7ii7 any recommendations-- 7,i7   
for adjustments to the planned rate     
increase2  7,,ii7 on ways to mitigate   
the impacts of the rate increase on     
electric consumers1 including-- 7aa7    
phasing in price increases2 and  7bb7   
financial aid options for electric      
consumers2 and  7,,iii7 for how the     
retail electric utility can improve or  
increase efficiency to avoid future rate
 increases4  7#d7 ,monitoring by ,,doe  
,the ,secretary of ,energy shall1 after 
a rate increase described in paragraph  
7#a7 is implemented1 monitor the impacts
 of such rate increase on the market and
 on electric consumers to evaluate if   
the rate increase has had the impacts   
described in paragraph 7#c77;,b7 and if 
further action is needed4  7c7          
,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7    
,electric consumer ,the term electric   

consumer has the meaning given such term
 in section #c7e7 of the ,public        
,utility ,regulatory ,policies ,act of  
#aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #bfjb7e774  7#b7   
,electric utility ,the term electric    
utility has the meaning given such term 
in section #c7d7 of the ,public ,utility
 ,regulatory ,policies ,act of #aigh    
7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #bfjb7d774  7#c7 ,retail 
electric utility ,the term retail       
electric utility means an electric      
utility that sells electric energy for  
purposes other than resale4