The National Council meets Monday to discuss a fuel tax cut and margin limits aimed at providing over 12 cents of relief per liter.

Every Australian household and around a million small businesses will be provided additional electricity bill rebates by the end of this year

Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state will distribute $1 billion in energy rebate checks—up to about $200 each—beginning Sept. 21, and that no application will be required for eligible households; the move is part of a broader affordability push including tax and child-care measures.

The conference committee on House Bills 263 and 265 closed remaining conferencing items across state departments, approved a fiscal‑note packet and amendment EA2 that raises the FY26 one‑time permanent fund dividend from $150 to $200 and allocates new funds to a bulk fuel loan program, and reported out conference committee substitutes for both bills.

The Alaska Senate Finance Committee adopted a Senate committee substitute for the operating budget that totals about $13.83 billion and includes a $1,000 permanent fund dividend, $96 million in energy relief, up to $100 million in one‑time K‑12 grants, increased community assistance and disaster relief funding, and several contingency and staffing items.

New Jersey is challenging its established partnership with PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator, through newly proposed legislation. Concerns have arisen regarding PJM's performance, including substantial delays in integrating new energy projects, perceived resistance to clean energy advancements, and the resulting increase in electricity rates for New Jersey residents. A lack of transparency in PJM’s decision-making processes, addressed to some extent by Maryland’s prior actions, has also fueled this push for change. The proposed bill outlines a layered approach spearheaded by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Key components include mandatory capacity contracting, requiring energy providers to secure at least 80% of future capacity needs for a five-year period. The bill also contemplates potentially withdrawing from PJM’s capacity market and establishing a collaborative “multi-state compact” to implement a fixed resource requirement model. Furthermore, the legislation directs research into the feasibility of complete grid independence, examining options like joining an alternative regional grid or developing a New Jersey-led system. The bill emphasizes a collaborative approach, encouraging cooperation with other states experiencing similar issues with PJM. This legislative effort marks a pioneering step, making New Jersey the first state to introduce such comprehensive measures. Maryland Delegate Lorig Charkoudian has voiced support for New Jersey’s initiative, referencing Maryland's existing transparency efforts. Simultaneously, Governor Murphy and state leaders have announced a $430 million energy relief package for ratepayers, offering immediate financial assistance while the legislative process progresses. This situation reflects a broader trend of growing dissatisfaction with PJM’s performance among states within the region. Key players involved include the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, tasked with research and recommendations; legislators like Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin; Maryland Delegate Lorig Charkoudian; Governor Phil Murphy, who supports the effort and has implemented rate relief; and PJM Interconnection itself, the focal point of the controversy.

New Jersey Residents to Receive Energy Bill Relief Thanks to Governor Murphy’s Action June 5, 2025 Facing escalating energy costs stemming from issues within the PJM grid – specifically, delays in integrating renewable energy sources – Governor Murphy and state leadership are taking action to provide financial assistance to residents. Today’s announcement details a plan to offer credits of up to $250 to help alleviate the burden of rising electric rates. Several organizations have expressed their support for the initiative, recognizing its potential to offer much-needed relief to families throughout the state. David Amanfu, representing Climate & Energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council, praised the action, stating that it would directly contribute to lowering costs for residents. He further expressed anticipation for a detailed review of the plan. Barbara Blumenthal, Policy Director for ReThink Energy NJ, highlighted the importance of this relief, particularly as New Jersey prepares for another extended period of high temperatures. She emphasized the need to continue prioritizing accessible clean energy solutions to create long-term affordability in the state's electricity supply.

PSE&G has unveiled a summer relief initiative designed to safeguard eligible residential electric customers from service disconnection and is seeking approval from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to lessen the impact of rising electric bills this summer. Responding to an anticipated electric supply price increase scheduled for June 1, stemming from a recent PJM capacity price auction, PSE&G is taking several steps. These include an expanded summer moratorium, beginning July 1 and lasting until September 30, which builds upon the existing winter termination program to offer protection from disconnection for low-income and qualified individuals. Additionally, PSE&G will suspend reconnection fees. The company recently submitted a proposal to the BPU, initially on May 7 and supplemented on May 15, to delay the effects of the June 1 price increase for residential electric customers throughout the summer. According to Kim Hanemann, president and chief operating officer at PSE&G, New Jersey needs increased power generation to address the anticipated imbalance between energy supply and demand. The company’s actions aim to ease the financial strain on families and communities during peak electricity usage. PSE&G will continue to pay electricity suppliers despite the deferral period. Summer months typically see increased energy consumption due to higher temperatures and increased air conditioner use; cooling a home to 75 degrees when it’s 90 degrees outside requires 125% more electricity than when it’s 85 degrees outside. Customers facing difficulties with bill payments are encouraged to contact PSE&G to explore available assistance programs.

CenterPoint Energy reaches agreement with Texas state government to absorb costs of mobile generators and cut rates for Houston-area customers. The deal comes after months of intense criticism and negotiation following the company's failure to prevent widespread power outages in the Houston area during Hurricane Beryl last year. The 15 large mobile generators, valued at over $800 million, proved useless in averting the outages. In a statement made before the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, CenterPoint executive vice president Jason Ryan confirmed that customers will be made whole for what they've already been charged related to the generators. This means lower bills for customers as the company announces a multiyear base-rate reduction and an agreement to forgo costs incurred responding to Hurricane Beryl. The cost of the 15 generators attributed to the period starting at the end of April through the end of the lease will be removed from rates, resulting in a monthly savings of around $2 for the average residential customer. The company will also donate the generators to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) for the remaining two years of the lease. According to Ryan, ERCOT has been public about the need to find a solution to avoid potential outages that could affect all Texans within their area. CenterPoint Energy will absorb the approximately $180 million of costs incurred during this period, rather than charging ERCOT or Houston-area customers.

Federal and state lobbyists told the Carlsbad subcommittee that DHS funding remained unresolved, Congressman Levin introduced an Energy Bills Relief Act to lower household energy costs, and state proposals on e-bikes, housing and homelessness reporting are moving and merit close local review.

Legislation aims to rebate renewable energy funds and reduce energy expenses for residents.

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia’s government said on Sunday that a federal budget this week would include an A$1.8 billion extension to a scheme to reduce energy bills, ahead of what is expected to be a closely-fought general election due by May. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s centre-left Labor government has already handed out A$3.5 billion in energy bill relief in a bid to tackle inflation, as it grapples with rising living costs in the nation of around 27 million. On Sunday, ahead of handing down on Tuesday its final budget before the election, Albanese said Australian households and around one million small businesses would get another A$150 "in rebates automatically applied to their electricity bills in quarterly instalments". "Treasury estimates this will directly reduce headline inflation by around half of a percentage point in 2025," Albanese said in a statement, which costed the measure at A$1.8 billion. The government’s main political opposition, the conservative Liberal-National coalition, said it would not oppose the scheme’s extension, after the country’s energy regulator last week warned that power prices in some eastern regions could surge by nearly 9% from July. As announced on Saturday, the budget will also expand a scheme to help would-be home buyers get on the property ladder, as housing, the largest contributor to the rising cost of living in Australia, shapes up as a key election issue. The budget pledges come after a widely-watched poll in February showed most Australian voters wanted the Labor government out of office. In the poll, Albanese’s approval rating hit its lowest point since he was elected to office in May 2022. The government, which has not yet officially called the election, is working to lift support via a slew of measures aimed at pleasing families and businesses grappling with high living costs. Australia’s central bank, which in February cut rates for the first time in more than four years, warned at the time that it was too early to declare victory over inflation and was cautious about the prospects of further easing.