King-Hinds Introduces Affordable Power for the Northern Marianas Act

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds today introduced the Affordable Power for the Northern Marianas Act, legislation that would dedicate a greater share of existing Covenant funding to reducing electricity costs and rebuilding the Commonwealth’s aging power system.

“For too long, our families and businesses have been asked to absorb the cost of an electric system that is too expensive, too old, too fragile, and increasingly difficult to maintain,” King-Hinds said. “We cannot build a stronger economy while power costs continue to take such a large share of every household budget and every business expense.”

The legislation would direct $15 million annually in mandatory Covenant funding to the Northern Mariana Islands, with most of the funding reserved for capital investments in the Commonwealth’s energy generation system. Projects would be prioritized based on their ability to reduce or stabilize rates, lower fuel and operating costs, improve efficiency, and reduce the frequency and cost of power outages.

“Affordable power affects everything,” King-Hinds said. “It affects whether a small business can stay open, whether a hotel can hire, whether our hospital and schools can operate within their budgets, and whether families can afford to remain here. Addressing energy costs is part of rebuilding the entire Commonwealth economy.”

The funding addressed by the bill originated as financial assistance for the Northern Mariana Islands under the Covenant. Congress later allowed the funding to be distributed among the other U.S. territories, and the Department of the Interior now divides the account through an administrative allocation process.

“This is Covenant funding, and a greater share of it should be coming back to the Commonwealth to address the problems threatening our economic stability,” King-Hinds said. “The federal government made a commitment to help our people achieve a progressively higher standard of living and build the resources needed for local self-government. Reliable and affordable electricity is fundamental to that commitment.”

The legislation would begin the new allocation in fiscal year 2027 and continue it until a successor multi-year financial assistance agreement under section 702 of the Covenant takes effect. The bill would remain within the existing federal funding level and would not increase total mandatory spending. Up to $3 million of the CNMI allocation could continue to be used for immigration, labor, or law enforcement needs, with the remaining amount directed toward the Commonwealth’s energy system.

The bill would also remove local matching requirements for funded energy projects, allowing the Commonwealth to move forward without having to identify local funds that are currently unavailable.

“We have spent years managing one crisis after another in our power system,” King-Hinds said. “This bill is about finally putting real resources behind a long-term solution and making affordable, dependable power a central part of the Commonwealth’s recovery.”