House · HR 164 · 119th Congress
POWER Act of 2025
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Summary
This bill lets electric utilities combine disaster recovery work with steps to prevent future damage. When a utility gets federal help to restore power after a disaster, it can also get separate federal funds to make its equipment more disaster-resistant. The bill applies to money approved after it becomes law.
In Favor
Right now, utilities must choose between fixing power quickly and making lasting improvements. This bill lets them do both at the same time, saving money and cutting future outage risks. Communities could recover faster from future storms because power systems would be built back stronger during the same repair window.
Against
This bill lets utilities stack two types of federal disaster funding for the same facility. That could stretch limited federal disaster funds thinner, leaving less money for other disaster victims. There is also no built-in limit on how much extra funding one utility can receive through this combined approach.
Additional Considerations
Purpose & Problem
Is the problem real and worth federal action?
The bill lets electric utilities combine power restoration work with steps to reduce future disaster damage, using existing federal disaster law as the base.
Scope & Related Provisions
Does it stay focused, or carry unrelated add-ons?
The provisions stay on topic and address electric utility work during and after declared disasters.
Who Is Affected
Who benefits, and who bears the cost?
Electric utilities may gain access to two types of federal disaster help at once. Federal agencies that give out disaster funds take on new duties to apply updated rules.
Cost & Funding
Is it affordable and responsibly funded?
The bill does not set a new spending amount. It changes which activities qualify for funds already given out under existing disaster law, so costs depend on future appropriations and disaster events.
Risks & Implementation
What could go wrong in practice?
The bill applies only to money set aside after it becomes law, so utilities and agencies must track which funds fall under the new rules, which could add steps to an already complex process.
For the actual bill text, see congress.gov.
AI-generated · Published 7/24/2026