METRIC Act

Bill Number

H.R. 7607

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Energy

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-02-20: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Last Updated

2026-02-27T18:01:34Z

AI-Generated Summary

Summary of H.R. 7607 (METRIC Act)

Purpose

The legislation aims to improve the accuracy and usefulness of United States energy data by modernizing how the country measures and reports the total gross energy input into the national energy system. It seeks to address limitations in current methods that were designed mainly for combustion-based fuels and do not fully reflect the efficiency or value of noncombustion sources like renewables.

Key Provisions

• Study on Primary Energy Indicators: Directs the Secretary of Energy, with support from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), to conduct a comprehensive study evaluating the current primary energy measurement method. The study must assess its historical basis, limitations in capturing energy efficiency and transitions, alternative indicators, international practices (such as those used by the International Energy Agency), and recommendations for improvements aligned with goals like electrification and decarbonization. A report with findings must be submitted to Congress within 18 months.
• Incident Energy Statistics: Amends Section 205 of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7135) to require the EIA Administrator to develop, collect, analyze, and report on "incident energy," defined as the total energy entering an energy conversion system from natural or environmental sources before any losses occur. This includes data collection via surveys where feasible, or model-based estimates using surveys, physical models, or remote sensing from federal agencies for other sources. Data must be published alongside existing primary and final energy statistics for comparison, with all methods and assumptions made publicly available in machine-readable formats, including notes on uncertainty. The amendment does not alter existing primary energy reporting practices.
• Definitions Added: Clarifies terms such as "energy conversion" (any process transforming energy for usable forms), "final energy" (energy delivered to end users like electricity or fuels), and "incident energy" (total incoming energy before transformation).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This bill introduces a new subsection (n) to the Department of Energy Organization Act, mandating the creation and reporting of incident energy statistics as a complement to existing primary energy data. It expands the EIA's data collection and modeling responsibilities without replacing or redefining primary energy metrics.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Increases workload for the Department of Energy and EIA in developing new data collection methods, models, and public reporting systems, potentially requiring additional resources for surveys and analysis.
• On Citizens and Researchers: Provides more transparent and comparable energy data, which could improve public understanding of energy trends, support better-informed market decisions, and aid evidence-based research on energy productivity.
• On International Relations: Encourages alignment with global best practices in energy accounting, potentially facilitating better comparisons with data from other nations and international organizations.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Federal agencies, particularly the Department of Energy and EIA.
• Congress, as recipients of the required study report.
• Energy industry participants, including manufacturers and operators of energy technologies.
• Researchers, market analysts, and the general public who rely on national energy statistics.
• Entities involved in international energy reporting, such as the International Energy Agency.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

The bill focuses on administrative data modernization within the executive branch and raises no apparent constitutional concerns, as it involves standard congressional authority over federal agencies and information collection. Politically, it promotes enhanced transparency in energy metrics to support policy decisions on efficiency and transitions, without mandating changes to how primary energy is currently defined or reported.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6]

Cosponsors (2)

Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14], Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]

Recent Actions

• 2026-02-20: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
• 2026-02-20: Introduced in House
• 2026-02-20: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Modernizing EIA Tracking and Reporting to Increase Consistency Act — issued 2026-02-20 — PDF (8 pages)