House bill introduced by Rep. Casten would update how US measures and reports energy use

A bill put forward in the U.S. House by Rep. Sean Casten seeks to update national energy measurement and reporting, with a focus on improving efficiency and public access, the U.S. Congress reports.

Filed as H.R.7607 on Feb. 20, 2026 in the 119th Congress, this legislation is described in detail below based on the original bill text and summarized here for clarity.

At its core, the proposal is designed to bring modern approaches to how U.S. energy use is measured and reported, with the goal of boosting performance and transparency. It tasks the Secretary of Energy and the Energy Information Administration with leading a study to assess current primary energy indicators, evaluate their shortcomings and consider new approaches for national accounting. International best practices will be reviewed, and recommendations for ways to support national targets for energy efficiency and decarbonization will be developed. In addition, the bill directs development and reporting of incident energy statistics, involving both the gathering of data and production of model-based estimates, with public publishing of the results. Congress would receive a full report within 18 months following the bill’s enactment.

Rep. Sean Casten (Democrat-IL-6th District) brought the bill to the House, joined by co-sponsors Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (Democrat-IL-5th District) and Rep. Kathy Castor (Democrat-IL-14th District).

Since the current term began, Rep. Casten has filed 34 additional bills.

Legislation in Congress may originate in either the House or Senate, except for revenue bills, which are required to begin in the House. After introduction, bills go to committees for consideration, hearings, amendments and debate before awaiting a vote in both chambers. Should both pass the same language, the president receives the bill to sign into law or veto. Congressional sessions last two years, ending with sequential numbering, subdivided into two annual sessions. Congress.gov preserves official records and details of this process.

Sean Casten is an Illinois Representative, elected as a Democrat to the 116th and three subsequent Congresses, starting service on Jan. 3, 2019. His educational background includes a B.A. from Middlebury College along with M.S. and M.E.M. degrees from Dartmouth College.