{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=195fc67d-511e-4e10-9e0d-3ac7aa3848a7", "Flake, Pompeo Highlight Energy Subsidy Costs to Ratepayers", "2015-12-16", "2015", "2015-12", "Republican", "House", "AZ", "Jeff Flake", "F000444", "www.flake.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) introduced S. 2384, the Ratepayer Fairness Act, requiring states to evaluate whether utility ratepayers are being asked to pay higher public utility costs to pay for customer technologies that only benefit a select few. U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) introduced companion legislation in the House, H.R. 4232.\r\nThe Ratepayer Fairness Act would add a new standard to the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA), requiring public utility commissions to consider whether policies they approve would lead to a cross-subsidization of customer technologies that only benefit a small number of electricity customers. In addition, the standard would require the commissions to look at whether such policies negatively affect resource utilization and grid security, or if an unfair competitive advantage would be given to the customer technology.\r\nConsumers should not be burdened with higher utility bills in order to subsidize technologies, especially those that are only enjoyed by a few, said Flake. Everyone deserves access to affordable and reliable energy and this measure would ensure that all states take a hard look at whether consumers are being asked to pay their fair share.  In a time of stagnant wages and slow economic growth, we must protect consumers from being forced to pay higher electricity bills in order to subsidize technology that only benefits those who have the means to afford it, said Pompeo. This legislation takes important measures to do just that, promoting transparency between utility regulators and the public and making sure that all states review whether consumers are paying more than they should be. That is the Kansas commonsense way.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=195fc67d-511e-4e10-9e0d-3ac7aa3848a7"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8892868645489216, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}