HR9843

On July 22, 2026, Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) introduced HR9843, a bill to amend the Federal Power Act to authorize the allocation of costs for certain interstate electric power transmission lines and offshore transmission lines. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. It is in the early stage of the legislative process with no cosponsors. The bill does not authorize or appropriate any direct funding. Instead, it provides a regulatory mechanism for FERC to allocate the costs of new interstate and offshore transmission lines to the beneficiaries of those lines. This reduces regulatory uncertainty for transmission developers by clarifying cost recovery, which is a key barrier to transmission investment. Actual funding for construction would come from ratepayers or project developers, not from federal appropriations. No related signals or procurement data were provided for convergence analysis. The bill stands alone as a regulatory reform aimed at facilitating transmission infrastructure. Structural winners include transmission owners and developers with significant interstate transmission assets, such as American Electric Power ($AEP) and NextEra Energy ($NEE), as well as grid equipment suppliers like GE Vernova ($GEV). Utilities with transmission in non-RTO regions, such as Duke Energy ($DUK) and Southern Company ($SO), may also benefit but to a lesser degree due to their limited exposure to interstate cost allocation mechanisms. The legislative timeline is uncertain. The bill must pass through committee markup, House floor vote, Senate consideration, and presidential action. Given the early stage and lack of cosponsors, passage in the current Congress is not assured. Investors should monitor committee activity and potential companion bills in the Senate.