S. 5111 – Responsive Energy Demand Unlocks Clean Energy Act

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Updated February 8, 2026 at 6:20 PM UTC

The Responsive Energy Demand Unlocks Clean Energy Act requires transmission organizations to accept bids from aggregators that pool demand‑response from retail customers of large utilities—those that delivered more than 4 million megawatt‑hours in the prior fiscal year. It overrides any state rules that would block such bidding, aiming to increase participation in organized power markets and support clean‑energy goals. The bill also directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue implementing regulations within 180 days.

Key Provisions

Transmission organizations must accept any bid from an aggregator that has combined the demand‑response of retail customers of utilities that distributed over 4 million MWh in the previous fiscal year, even if a state regulatory authority would otherwise prohibit it.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must issue a rule to enforce this requirement no later than 180 days after the law’s enactment.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text: CR S6743)

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

November 16, 2022

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

November 16, 2022

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text: CR S6743)

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

November 16, 2022

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S. 5111 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Sen. John ThuneR-SD · Nov 16, 2022

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Nov 16, 2022

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Nov 16, 2022

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in SenateIssued November 16, 2022

II

117th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 5111

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

November 16, 2022

Mr. Durbin introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To require Transmission Organizations to accept bids from aggregators of certain retail customers, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Responsive Energy Demand Unlocks Clean Energy Act.

2.

Aggregator bidding into organized power markets

(a)

Definitions of State regulatory authority and Transmission Organization

In this section, the terms State regulatory authority and Transmission Organization have the meanings given those terms in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796).

(b)

Requirement

Notwithstanding any prohibition established by a State regulatory authority with respect to who may bid into an organized power market, each Transmission Organization shall accept any bid from an aggregator of retail customers that aggregated the demand response of the customers of any utility that distributed more than 4,000,000 megawatt-hours in the previous fiscal year.

(c)

Rulemaking

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall issue a rule to carry out the requirements of subsection (b).