Politico Covers Thriving Economy Project Following Launch

House Dems unveil energy, environment proposals for next Congress

The proposals, compiled by Democratic lawmakers on the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, have yet to be officially endorsed by party leadership.

Amelia Davidson

09/16/2026

A group of House Democrats released hundreds of energy and environment policy proposals this week, as they eye a change in power following the November midterm elections.

The recommendations came following months of work by researchers and lawmakers, led by Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), to compile policies they see as actionable and capable of bipartisan support while President Donald Trump remains in office.

A final 254-page collection of policy ideas, on topics from data centers to clean energy to rising insurance rates due to climate change, was released this week by the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Institute, in collaboration with Castor and other Democrats. The institute is affiliated with the House’s SEEC caucus, composed of over 100 Democrats.

The proposals have not yet been endorsed by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries or other Democratic leaders who will have agenda-setting power should they take over the House next Congress. But Castor projected optimism that the “Thriving Economy Project“ — as the latest slate of proposals is called — would set the energy and environment priorities for Democrats next congressional term.

“This is a launch today, and it's going to be up to members of Congress, policymakers, coalitions across the country to help us now tackle, pick from the menu of options, hammer it out into legislation, get to hearings. But the groundwork has been laid, and time is of the essence,” Castor said.

Jeffries’ office did not respond to request for comment. Jeffries has separately convened a Democratic affordability working group focused on energy issues, led by Reps. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) and Mike Levin (D-Calif.) The two were major participants in the SEEC project, with Budzinski presiding over recommendations having to do with agriculture and Levin over clean energy proposals.

Among the myriad proposals were a number focused on data centers, which have become a hot-button issue on the campaign trail. The Democrats pitched federal mechanisms to ensure that data centers and other large-load operators cover their own electricity costs. They also said that data centers should be required to pay into a fund that would support the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Lawmakers also proposed that the government adopt a new rate policy to give Americans certain hours of free electricity per day. And it suggested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Agriculture Department’s Rural Development program both be elevated to independent agency status.

At the project’s launch event Tuesday, lawmakers who worked on the project spoke to the consultations they did with communities and experts across the country to craft their policy recommendations.

And while most proposals were new, Levin also noted the need to continue past energy and environment work that proved fruitful in past Democratic-led Congressional terms.

“The American people deserve better than what they're getting from Republicans in Congress and from the White House," Levin said. "While this report is forward-looking, we also want to be sure that we bring back and improve the policies that we already know work, like clean energy tax credits.”