This act mandates the Department of Energy to regularly report to Congress and the public on all instances where cost-sharing requirements for projects have been waived.
Jay Obernolte
Representative
CA-23
The Cost-Share Accountability Act of 2025 mandates that the Department of Energy must regularly report on instances where it waives cost-sharing requirements for specific projects. These detailed reports must be submitted quarterly to relevant Congressional committees and simultaneously made available to the public. This ensures transparency regarding the use of the Secretary of Energy's waiver authority.
| Party | Total Votes | Yes | No | Did Not Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | 218 | 207 | 0 | 11 |
Democrat | 213 | 198 | 0 | 15 |
New Energy Act Mandates Quarterly Public Reports on Federal Cost-Share Waivers
The newly introduced Cost-Share Accountability Act of 2025 is all about pulling back the curtain on how the Department of Energy (DOE) spends money on big projects. Specifically, this bill focuses on transparency surrounding "cost-sharing waivers." This is policy-speak for when the DOE decides to reduce or completely eliminate the requirement for a private company, university, or other partner to pay a portion of the project’s costs. Think of it like the DOE footing the entire bill for a research project that a private company might otherwise have to invest in.
The New Accountability Clock
Section 2 of the Act sets up a mandatory reporting system. The Secretary of Energy now has to tell Congress and the public exactly when and why they used their authority to grant these waivers (found in subsections (b)(3) or (c)(2) of the relevant law). The clock starts ticking fast: the first detailed report is due within 120 days of the Act becoming law. After that initial report, the DOE must submit updates at least every quarter.
Who Gets the Memo (and Why It Matters to You)
These reports aren't just going into a bureaucratic black hole. They must be sent to key oversight committees in Congress—like the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations and the Energy and Science committees. But here’s the crucial part for the average person: the DOE is also required to make these reports publicly available.
What does this mean for someone who isn't a policy wonk? It means better oversight of how taxpayer dollars are being used in energy research and development. If the DOE is waiving millions in cost-sharing for a massive energy project, the public will now get a detailed, regular breakdown of why that decision was made. For instance, if a large corporation gets a full waiver on a project that later yields huge profits, this new reporting requirement ensures that decision is visible and subject to scrutiny, which increases accountability for federal spending decisions. The main impact of this bill isn't changing energy policy itself, but making the process of funding that policy much more transparent.