United States 119th Congress Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 1 D · 1 R cosponsors

HR 7080 — Waste Heat to Wattage Act of 2026

Last action — Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced January 14, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Advancing 34% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (1 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

The bill adds waste energy recovery to the definition of renewable energy sources in an existing law.

The Waste Heat to Wattage Act of 2026 amends a previous law to recognize waste energy recovery as a form of renewable energy. This includes systems that convert waste heat or pressure from processes into electricity.

Bill Text

Sections of law this bill changes

1 section in 1 law

From the bill's own amending language, matched to the official United States Code (current through Public Law 119-121).

Renewable energy research and development · 7 U.S.C. ch. 107 1 section
  • § 8101 Definitions Amends

    7 U.S.C. § 8101

    The law today

    Except as otherwise provided, in this chapter: (1) Administrator The term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. (2) Advisory Committee The term “Advisory Committee” means the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee established by section 8108(d)(1) of this title. (3) Advanced biofuel (A) In general The term “advanced biofuel” means fuel derived from renewable biomass other than corn kernel starch. (B) Inclusions Subject to subparagraph (A), the term “advanced biofuel” includes— (i) biofuel derived from cellulose, hemicellulose, or lignin; (ii) biofuel derived from sugar and starch (other than ethanol derived from corn kernel starch); (iii) biofuel derived from waste material, including crop residue, other vegetative waste material, animal waste, food waste, and yard waste; (iv) diesel-equivalent fuel derived from renewable biomass, including vegetable oil and animal fat; (v) biogas (including landfill gas and sewage waste treatment gas) produced through the conversion of organic matter from renewable biomass; (vi) butanol or other alcohols produced through the conversion of organic matter from renewable biomass; and (vii) other fuel derived from cellulosic biomass. (4) Biobased product The term “biobased product” means a product determined by the Secretary to be a commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is— (A) composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological products, including renewable domestic agricultural materials, renewable chemicals, and forestry materials; or (B) an intermediate ingredient or feedstock. (5) Biofuel The term “biofuel” means a fuel derived from renewable biomass. (6) Biomass conversion facility The term “biomass conversion facility” means a facility that converts or proposes to convert renewable biomass into— (A) heat; (B) power; (C) biobased products; or (D) advanced biofuels. (7) Biorefinery The term “biorefinery” means a facility (including equipment and processes) that— (A) converts renewable biomass or an intermediate ingredient or feedstock of renewable biomass into any 1 or more, or a combination, of— (i) biofuels; (ii) renewable chemicals; or (iii) biobased products; and (B) may produce electricity. (8) Board The term “Board” means the Biomass Research and Development Board established by section 8108(c) of this title. (9) Forest product (A) In general The term “forest product” means a product made from materials derived from the practice of forestry or the management of growing timber. (B) Inclusions The term “forest product” includes— (i) pulp, paper, paperboard, pellets, lumber, and other wood products; and (ii) any recycled products derived from forest materials. (10) Indian tribe The term “Indian tribe” has the meaning given the term in section 5304 of title 25. (11) Institution of higher education The term “institution of higher education” has the meaning given the term in section 1002(a) of title 20. (12) Intermediate ingredient or feedstock The term “intermediate ingredient or feedstock” means a material or compound made in whole or in significant part from biological products, including renewable agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials, that are subsequently used to make a more complex compound or product. (13) Renewable biomass The term “renewable biomass” means— (A) materials, pre-commercial thinnings, or invasive species from National Forest System land and public lands (as defined in section 1702 of title 43) that— (i) are byproducts of preventive treatments that are removed— (I) to reduce hazardous fuels; (II) to reduce or contain disease or insect infestation; or (III) to restore ecosystem health; (ii) would not otherwise be used for higher-value products; and (iii) are harvested in accordance with— (I) applicable law and land management plans; and (II) the requirements for— (aa) old-growth maintenance, restoration, and management ...

    30 other bills also change this section · Follow it → Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗

How this bill changes current law

2 changes Share ↗

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill expands the definition of renewable energy to include waste energy recovery.

  • 7 U.S.C. 8101

    or hydroelectric → hydroelectric, or waste energy recovery

    This change adds 'waste energy recovery' to the list of sources classified as renewable energy.

  • 7 U.S.C. 8101

    Waste energy recovery.--The term 'waste energy recovery' means heat or pressure that would otherwise be vented, released, throttled, or discharged from a commercial, residential, or industrial process that is recovered and used as the sole input for another purpose or process that generates electricity, including a waste heat to power or waste pressure to power system.

    This addition defines 'waste energy recovery' and its application in generating electricity.

Action History

  1. Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Introduced in House

  4. Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 545 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (545)

545 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 545 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HR 7080?
HR 7080 is sponsored by Baird, James R. (Republican) and Vasquez, Gabe (Democratic).
What is the current status of HR 7080?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced January 14, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HR 7080?
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