Congress strips states of power to ban fossil fuel infrastructure

What it does

This bill prohibits states and local governments from banning or restricting energy infrastructure (pipelines, power lines, connections) based on the type or source of energy being delivered—effectively blocking state and local climate policies that phase out fossil fuels or mandate renewable energy. The primary beneficiaries are fossil fuel producers and distributors; the primary losers are state and local governments seeking to meet climate commitments and communities seeking to restrict fossil fuel infrastructure.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a federal preemption of state and local energy regulation, specifically targeting climate and environmental restrictions on fossil fuel infrastructure. It is functionally a deregulation bill that strips subnational climate authority.

What the text implies

• Eliminates state authority to enforce climate commitments under the Paris Agreement or state climate laws, potentially conflicting with state constitutional environmental duties.
• Blocks local zoning and building codes that restrict fossil fuel infrastructure, overriding community land-use authority and democratic local control.
• May prevent states from enforcing environmental justice protections that restrict polluting energy infrastructure in low-income neighborhoods.
• Creates a federal floor that prevents any state from going beyond current federal energy standards, locking in fossil fuel dependence.
• Applies to 'energy service' broadly—potentially covers gas pipelines, coal transport, and LNG terminals, not just electricity.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill strips states and localities of their authority to regulate energy infrastructure on environmental or climate grounds, eliminating a primary tool for meeting climate goals and local environmental protection. Citizens lose democratic control over energy policy in their communities; fossil fuel companies gain a federal shield against state-level climate restrictions.

Who stands to gain

• fossil fuel producers and distributors
• natural gas utilities
• coal companies
• oil and gas pipeline operators
• LNG export terminals

Named in the bill

States, local governments, regulatory agencies, energy service providers, fossil fuel industry, renewable energy sector (negatively affected)

Where it stands

157 cosponsors: 154 Republicans, 3 Democrats.

• Jun 4, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jun 4, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy”
• Nov 19, 2025 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Dec 3, 2025 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 24 - 21”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

36 lobbying clients named this bill on 53 disclosure filings across 3 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $73,906,012 in lobbying spend. A filing names 12 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 98% of bills with at least one filing.

Nicholas Langworthy, the sponsor, reported $1,046,611 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Chamber of Commerce of the U.S.A. — $54,660,000 on 3 filings
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company — $3,530,000 on 1 filing
• American Petroleum Institute — $1,920,000 on 1 filing
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (nreca) — $1,750,000 on 2 filings
• Nfib (national Federation of Independent Business) — $1,670,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 23, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.