Coalition urges Senate to support pro-energy DATA Act

Today the Competitive Enterprise Institute sent a coalition letter to the U.S. Senate in support of the Decentralized Access to Technology Alternatives (DATA) Act of 2026. The letter, signed by 15 free market organizations, explained the urgent need to remove federal barriers to off-grid power generation systems that are privately owned and operated.

“Electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centers and other sources is rising at a rapid rate. At the same time, power plant retirements and renewable energy mandates in the states are pushing the grid to the brink. The existing electrical grid will continue to struggle to meet this burgeoning demand unless we allow new options for electricity-intensive businesses to procure the power they need. One way to meet this challenge without affecting the broader power grid is to allow for the formation of off-grid power systems.”

The DATA Act would clarify that off-grid power systems would be allowed to function independently from public utilities and not be regulated as public utilities. These exemptions would only apply to power systems that are physically disconnected from the broader power grid.

“This quintessentially American approach would allow permissionless innovation by electricity entrepreneurs who could develop new ways to meet rising demand while protecting the existing power grid and ratepayers.”