Group of House Democrats Publish Policy Blueprint for Economic and Climate Resilience

21st Century Agricultural Opportunities

Congressional Lead: Representative Nikki Budzinski (IL-13)

• Establish federal procurement set-asides for crops grown with sustainable or regenerative practicesId. at 13. 
• Invest in agricultural infrastructure through federal loans, grants, and public-private equity partnershipsId. 
• Invest $100 billion over 10 years in federally funded agricultural R&DId. at 22. 
• Invest in research into biologic inputs and domestic green fertilizer productionId. at 16, 24.

Growing Rural and Tribal Economies

Congressional Lead: Representative Melanie Stansbury (NM-01)

• Establish localized renewable microgrids; fund federal programs that support rural and tribal utility infrastructureId. at 38. 
• Require data centers to use closed-loop cooling systems and other water-saving measures to mitigate energy and utility surges in  surrounding communitiesId.
• Require banks that operate in low-density communities and on tribal land to dedicate a certain amount of capital to consumer lending in those areas Id. at 57. 
• Provide federal subsidies to rideshare companies serving low-density areas and to health clinics offering telemedicine to low-density areasId. at 40, 41. 

Thriving, Affordable, and Resilient Communities

Congressional Lead: Representative Kathy Castor (FL-14)

• Condition federal housing assistance for new developments on the use of climate risk dataId. at 61. 
• Require federally funded and permitted infrastructure projects to use climate projections; direct federal infrastructure finance and grant programs to require clean construction materialsId. at 66. 
• Require large electricity loads, including data centers, to pay the full incremental cost of the growth they drive; mandate the disclosure of special contracts between utilities and large loadsId. at 68. 
• Invest in or provide support to sustainable aviation fuel, climate-resilient and low-emissions airport and air cargo infrastructure, and hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion; require US airlines to use a trusted carbon credit systemId. at 79. 
• Require the Federal Reserve and Office of Financial Research, on behalf of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), to conduct system-wide climate scenario exercises every two yearsId. at 100.  
• Codify climate-related financial risk as a priority across FSOC and its member agencies; mandate that climate-related risk be embedded into supervisory programs of the Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Securities and Exchange Commission, and other regulatorsId. 
• Authorize enhanced federal supervision of “systemically important nonbank financial institutions” for climate-related risksId. 

Safe, Clean, and Prosperous Ecosystems

Congressional Lead: Representative Maxine Dexter (OR-03)

• Establish Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulationsId. at 107. 
• Designate additional per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances under federal lawId. 

Cheap, Abundant, and Clean American Energy for All

Congressional Lead: Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

• Require data centers to disclose energy and water use; develop new metrics for data centers and AI energy efficiency; develop metrics for water use effectivenessId. at 150, 152. 
• Require data centers to pay into a fund supporting the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Weatherization Assistance Program, and Home Energy RebatesId. at 130. 
• Authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to review utility returns; mandate executive compensation transparency for utilities, such as the CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio; implement price caps during extreme weather eventsId. at 131. 
• Develop an Energy Star equivalent program for AI toolsId. at 150.
• Establish a fee-and-rebate initiative requiring data centers to pay into a new “U.S. Electron Accelerator” for electricity usage not matched to new clean energy generated at the same time and in the same locationId. at 151. 

Next-Generation Energy Technology Researched, Developed, and Built in America

Congressional Lead: Representative Deborah Ross (NC-02)

• Fund research, development, and demonstration for advanced nuclear, geothermal, carbon removal, clean hydrogen, and long-duration energy storage technologiesId. at 165. 
• Incentivize the use of low-carbon building materials through advance market commitments and direct federal procurementId. at 175. 

A Nationally Secure, Globally Competitive Energy Sector

Congressional Lead: Representative George Whitesides (CA-27)

• Establish greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity accounting standards and GHG border adjustment mechanism tariffs to comply with regimes like the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and the EU Methane RegulationId. at 201. 

Accessible, Low-Cost Finance for a Clean Energy Future

Congressional Lead: Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

• Create a clean energy State Revolving FundId. at 225. 
• Mandate enhanced corporate disclosure of climate data and risks; develop a standardized federal framework for GHG emissions accounting and climate dataId. at 227. 
• Require banking regulators to conduct climate scenario analyses for large financial institutionsId. at 228. 
• Establish federal standards for carbon credits and create a centralized verification registryId. 

Government that Delivers

Congressional Lead: Representative Gabe Amo (RI-01)

• Pass legislation to override Loper Bright and codify Chevron deference into federal lawId. at 243.