Congressman Begich Leads Legislation to Lower Energy Costs, Introduces House Version of the DATA Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April. 21, 2026 - Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK), along with Congressmen Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) and Burgess Owens (R-UT), introduced the DATA Act of 2026, the House companion to Senate legislation led by Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), aimed at lowering energy costs for American families while accelerating U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies.

"America must win the race to lead in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies," said Congressman Begich. "The DATA Act allows manufacturers to operate on fully self-contained, 'grid-of-one' power systems, so innovation can scale without forcing households to subsidize massive new energy demands or straining local utilities. For Alaska, this approach is especially critical. By leveraging our stranded energy assets and vast resource potential, this legislation creates a pathway for new jobs, new revenue, and long-term economic growth without raising energy costs for American families."

"We're taking a decisive step to unleash American energy innovation and restore market-driven competition," said Congressman Crenshaw. "By enabling private, off-grid generation, we can support explosive load growth without straining existing grids-protecting ratepayers while powering the technologies that will define the future. Winning the AI race against China is not merely an economic priority; it's a national security imperative, and the DATA Act gets us closer to that goal with smart policy that lets American industry lead."

"America is the land of innovation and technological progress. The DATA Act is a commonsense bill that will ensure America stays the leader in the AI race and modernizes our regulatory structure to let businesses that require a lot of power create their own supply," said Congressman Owens. "This is a win-win scenario where industry has a reliable flow of power, and residents and communities won't see an increase in their rates."

BACKGROUND:

The legislation modernizes federal regulations to allow manufacturers and other energy-intensive industries to develop fully isolated, off-grid power systems and ensures new industrial growth does not strain existing power grids or drive up electricity costs for households.

The DATA Act enables manufacturers to invest in customized, on-site electricity systems that are physically isolated from the bulk power grid. By keeping these systems separate, the bill ensures that new industrial demand does not increase costs for existing customers or compromise grid stability.

For Alaska, the legislation provides a practical path to economic growth without placing additional pressure on local utilities or ratepayers.

Congressman Begich serves on the House Natural Resources Committee, the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, and the House Committee on Science, Space & Technology, and has made lowering energy costs and expanding reliable American energy production a top priority.

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