Congressman Gabe Evans’ State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act, H.R. 3628, has passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote. The bill is designed to require states to consider long-term energy reliability and affordability when forming utility policies. Supporters argue that this will help address rising electricity costs affecting families in Colorado and across the United States.
“For years Colorado’s ruling Democrats have pushed out-of-touch policies and burdensome regulations that have led to skyrocketing energy bills and increased financial strain, resulting in further mental and physical stress on hard-working families across the state. This legislation puts Coloradans first by holding state regulatory entities like Colorado Public Utilities Commission accountable by new federal standards, to ensure they are focused on considering energy reliability and affordability. I’m proud to lead the charge on legislation that lowers costs, uplifts working-class Americans, and strengthens our nation’s energy dominance,” said Congressman Gabe Evans.
The bill mandates that states must review whether their integrated resource plans maintain enough reliable generation or procurement from facilities able to supply electricity continuously for at least 30 days—even during severe weather—and provide essential grid services such as frequency and voltage support.
Representative Evans has been a consistent critic of Colorado’s recent energy policy decisions, arguing these choices have contributed to higher rates for consumers while creating risks for grid reliability. Businesses in Colorado have reported frequent power outages disrupting operations, especially those relying on constant electricity such as technology companies working with quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
Since 2021, electric bills in Colorado have increased by 24%. National surveys show that 62% of Americans report higher power bills over the past year, with 73% concerned about further increases. Data from the U.S. Census indicates around 80 million Americans struggle to pay their utility bills.
Evans’ legislation requires states to assess if their energy strategies can meet demand reliably over a ten-year period, aiming to protect ratepayers from service interruptions and unexpected cost spikes.
After passing through the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a narrow margin of 25–23 votes, the bill advanced to the full House where it gained bipartisan approval. It now moves forward for consideration in the Senate.
The Western Energy Alliance and Competitive Enterprise Institute both endorsed the act. “The StatePlanningfor Reliability and Affordability Act, H.R. 3628, is a commonsense measure to support power grid reliability. To maintain an affordable and predictable provision of power, the bill would require that utilities must consider reliability in their integrated resource planning. Specifically, the legislation would require that utilities’ look to reliable generation facilities, those that are capable of providing power on a continuous basis for 30 days, among other requirements. This is an important step in ensuring states are planning their power grids in a way that provides for reliability,” said Paige Lambermont, Research Fellow at Competitive Enterprise Institute.
The text of H.R. 3628 can be found online.