SHIELD Act

HR 7066, the SHIELD Act, requires electricity utilities to fully recover grid upgrade costs from large commercial or industrial facilities (those with peak demand over 75 megawatts) that drive these upgrades. It prioritizes new service requests from such facilities that use energy efficiency, onsite storage, or zero-emission energy (like solar or wind) to meet their needs. The bill also defines "large load facilities" to exclude existing sites where increased demand results from electrification or emissions-reduction efforts. Utilities must implement these requirements within 2 years, with states reporting progress to Congress. This directly affects major electricity consumers and shapes how grid costs are allocated.