REWIRE Act
Download PDFSponsored by
Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA]
ID: M001243
Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy. Hearings held.
April 14, 2026
Introduced
Committee Review
📍 Current Status
Next: The bill moves to the floor for full chamber debate and voting.
Floor Action
Passed Senate
House Review
Passed Congress
Presidential Action
Became Law
📚 How does a bill become a law?
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Bill Summary
Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the geniuses in Congress. Let's dissect this mess, shall we?
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The REWIRE Act (because who doesn't love a good acronym?) claims to aim at "improving" the nation's electrical grid by streamlining the process for reconductoring within existing rights-of-way. How noble. In reality, it's just a thinly veiled attempt to line the pockets of special interest groups and campaign donors.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill proposes to amend the Federal Power Act by establishing a categorical exclusion for reconductoring projects, which would essentially fast-track these endeavors without proper environmental and regulatory oversight. Because who needs pesky regulations when there's money to be made? The bill also defines various terms related to grid management, transmission technologies, and reliability metrics – all of which serve as a smokescreen for the real agenda: deregulation and profiteering.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects are involved: energy companies, utilities, and their lobbyists. They'll be the primary beneficiaries of this bill, while the general public will be left to foot the bill (literally). Environmental groups and concerned citizens might as well be invisible, since their interests are being sacrificed at the altar of corporate greed.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill has all the makings of a classic case of legislative malpractice. By gutting regulatory oversight, we can expect:
* Increased risk of environmental disasters and public health hazards * Higher energy costs for consumers, as companies exploit the lack of regulation to maximize profits * Further consolidation of power in the hands of corporate interests, undermining democratic accountability
In short, the REWIRE Act is a symptom of a deeper disease: the corrupting influence of money in politics. It's a brazen attempt to prioritize special interests over the public good, wrapped in a veneer of technocratic jargon and bureaucratic doublespeak. As a seasoned diagnostician of legislative nonsense, I prescribe a healthy dose of skepticism and outrage to counter this egregious example of political malfeasance.
Related Topics
💰 Campaign Finance Network
Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No committee contributions found
Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance
This bill has 1 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]
ID: W000800
Top Contributors
10
Donor Network - Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA]
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 33 nodes and 33 connections
Total contributions: $278,650
Top Donors - Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA]
Showing top 25 donors by contribution amount
Industry Impact
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 4 helped.
- +Electric Utilities confidence 0.90
Section 3 establishes a categorical exclusion for reconductoring within existing rights-of-way, reducing regulatory burden for electric utilities. Section 4 improves return on equity for advanced transmission conductors, directly benefiting utilities investing in grid upgrades. Section 5 includes reconductoring in state energy programs, expanding funding opportunities.
- +Pipelines & Energy Infrastructure confidence 0.85
The bill's focus on reconductoring and grid-enhancing technologies within existing rights-of-way benefits midstream operators and transmission infrastructure owners by streamlining approvals and encouraging upgrades without new land acquisition.
- +Renewable Energy confidence 0.80
By increasing transmission capacity and efficiency through advanced conductors and grid-enhancing technologies, the bill facilitates integration of renewable energy sources, indirectly benefiting solar and wind generators by reducing curtailment and enabling broader market access.
- +Construction & Engineering confidence 0.75
Reconductoring and grid-enhancing technology deployment will drive demand for construction and engineering services involved in transmission upgrades, as referenced in Section 3(c) covering repair, maintenance, replacement, and upgrade activities.
Who funds the sponsor on these industries
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA]) received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022–present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent — they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.
Industries this bill HELPS
- Construction & Engineering$18,371from 11contributions
- ALBERT, CRAIG$9,900
- KIMBALL, WALKER$3,570
- RYAN, CATHERINE$3,300
- COCHRAN, LARRY$1,046
- CREWS, PETER$500
- from 4contributions
- HARBERT, KAREN$2,082
- SPISAK, FRANCIS E. MR.$175
- from 1contribution
- MCGARVIN, GERALD$500
- Renewable Energy$250from 1contribution
- FRAZIER, JAY$250
Project 2025 Policy Matches
This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document. AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.
Introduction
AI Analysis:
"The REWIRE Act and Project 2025 policy have weak alignment as they both touch on energy-related issues, but the bill's focus on streamlining the electrical grid and the policy's emphasis on promoting U.S. energy resources and reducing government interference in energy decisions are tangentially related at best. The policy's goals of securing energy infrastructure and promoting private-sector innovation are not directly addressed by the bill."
— 365 — Department of Energy and Related Commissions l Support repeal of massive spending bills like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)3 and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA),4 which established new programs and are providing hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to renewable energy developers, their investors, and special interests, and support the rescinding of all funds not already spent by these programs. l Unleash private-sector energy innovation by ending government interference in energy decisions. l Stop the war on oil and natural gas. l Allow individuals, families, and business to use the energy resources they want to use and that will best serve their needs. l Secure and protect energy infrastructure from cyber and physical attacks. l Refocus the Department of Energy on energy security, accelerated remediation, and advanced science. l Promote U.S. energy resources as a means to assist our allies and diminish our strategic adversaries. l Refocus FERC on ensuring that customers have affordable and reliable electricity, natural gas, and oil and no longer allow it to favor special interests and progressive causes. l Ensure that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission facilitates rather than hampers private-sector nuclear energy innovation and deployment. American Science Dominance. Ever since the age of Benjamin Franklin, the United States has been at the forefront of scientific discovery and technological advancement. Beginning with the groundbreaking science of the Manhattan Proj- ect, the U.S. has developed 17 National Laboratories that conduct fundamental and advanced scientific research. The National Labs have been critical in supporting national defense and ensuring that the United States leads on scientific discoveries with transformative applications that benefit America and the world. In recent years, however, U.S. science has been under threat. Externally, adversaries like the Chinese military have been engaged in scientific espionage, infiltrating taxpayer-funded scientific research projects, and funding their own science research. In addition, the National Labs have been too focused on climate change and renewable technologies. — 366 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise American science dominance is critical to U.S. national security and economic strength. The next conservative President therefore needs to recommit the United States to ensuring this dominance. MISSION STATEMENT FOR A REFORMED DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY The Department of Energy should be renamed and refocused as the Department of Energy Security and Advanced Science (DESAS). DESAS would refocus on DOE’s five existing core missions: l Providing leadership and coordination on energy security and related national security issues, l Promoting U.S. energy economic interests abroad, l Leading the nation and the world in cutting-edge fundamental advanced science, l Remediating former Manhattan Project and Cold War nuclear material sites, and l Developing new nuclear weapons and naval nuclear reactors. These missions work together by using advanced science to promote national security while getting the government out of the business of picking winners and losers in energy resources. Reform is needed because DOE, instead of focusing on core energy and security issues, has been spending billions of taxpayer dollars to subsidize renewable energy developers and investors, thereby making Americans less energy secure and distorting energy markets. OVERVIEW DOE was created by the Department of Energy Organization Act of 19775 in response to the 1970s oil crisis, consolidating various energy programs that pre- viously had operated without coordination throughout the federal government in a single department. In addition to addressing energy issues, DOE is tasked with: l Engaging in basic and fundamental science and research through the 17 National Laboratories; l Cleaning up the Manhattan Project and Cold War nuclear material and weapons sites;
Introduction
AI Analysis:
"The REWIRE Act and Project 2025 policy have weak alignment as they both touch on energy policy, but the bill's focus on streamlining reconductoring projects and deregulation does not directly support the policy's objectives of promoting U.S. energy resources, stopping the war on oil and natural gas, or unleashing private-sector energy innovation. The bill's goals are more closely related to special interest groups than the public good, which contrasts with the policy's emphasis on energy securit"
— 365 — Department of Energy and Related Commissions l Support repeal of massive spending bills like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)3 and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA),4 which established new programs and are providing hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to renewable energy developers, their investors, and special interests, and support the rescinding of all funds not already spent by these programs. l Unleash private-sector energy innovation by ending government interference in energy decisions. l Stop the war on oil and natural gas. l Allow individuals, families, and business to use the energy resources they want to use and that will best serve their needs. l Secure and protect energy infrastructure from cyber and physical attacks. l Refocus the Department of Energy on energy security, accelerated remediation, and advanced science. l Promote U.S. energy resources as a means to assist our allies and diminish our strategic adversaries. l Refocus FERC on ensuring that customers have affordable and reliable electricity, natural gas, and oil and no longer allow it to favor special interests and progressive causes. l Ensure that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission facilitates rather than hampers private-sector nuclear energy innovation and deployment. American Science Dominance. Ever since the age of Benjamin Franklin, the United States has been at the forefront of scientific discovery and technological advancement. Beginning with the groundbreaking science of the Manhattan Proj- ect, the U.S. has developed 17 National Laboratories that conduct fundamental and advanced scientific research. The National Labs have been critical in supporting national defense and ensuring that the United States leads on scientific discoveries with transformative applications that benefit America and the world. In recent years, however, U.S. science has been under threat. Externally, adversaries like the Chinese military have been engaged in scientific espionage, infiltrating taxpayer-funded scientific research projects, and funding their own science research. In addition, the National Labs have been too focused on climate change and renewable technologies.
Introduction
AI Analysis:
"The REWIRE Act and Project 2025 policy are tangentially related through their focus on energy and grid management, but they have distinct objectives and approaches, with the bill prioritizing deregulation and the policy emphasizing reliability and reform of existing programs. The alignment is weak due to the differing goals and methods."
— 380 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise Budget EERE was funded at slightly more than $2.8 billion in FY 2021, and DOE requested slightly more than $4.0 billion for FY 2023.47 Congress needs to rescind the appropriated monies that EERE has not spent and begin fresh with new appropriations. GRID DEPLOYMENT OFFICE (GDO) Mission/Overview The Grid Deployment Office was established to implement parts of the Infra- structure Investment and Jobs Act. Pursuant to the IIJA, GDO administers funds appropriated by Congress to support transmission expansion and low/zero carbon resources. In addition, GDO is developing studies of the electric grid to address congestion, enhance reliability and resilience, and promote “clean” energy.48 Needed Reforms l End grid planning and focus instead on reliability. FERC and NERC have the primary responsibility for addressing reliability, states have the primary authority to site and permit transmission lines, and regional transmission organizations assist in planning regional transmission needs for parts of the country, but Congress granted some grid planning and siting authority to FERC and DOE through the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and IIJA, as well as grid funding through the Inflation Reduction Act. Instead of focusing on grid expansion for the benefit of renewable resources or supporting low/carbon generation, GDO should be incorporated into the reformed Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, which would work to enhance the grid’s reliability and resilience. To the extent that they remain in effect, the funding programs that GDO oversees and administers should emphasize grid reliability, not renewables expansion. l Consider whether to defund the civil nuclear tax credit program and hydroelectric power efficiency and production incentives established in the IIJA and administered through GDO. If subsidies for renewable resources are not repealed, it may be necessary to continue subsidies for nuclear and hydro to ensure grid reliability. New Policies l Eliminate GDO and assign necessary activities to the reformed CESER. It appears that GDO’s current purpose is to promote the integration of low/zero carbon resources onto the grid by supporting subsidies for such resources and building new transmission facilities at
Showing 3 of 5 policy matches
About These Correlations
Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.
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