[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 172 (Sunday, November 23, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2429]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CONFERENCE REPORT H.R. 6

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                               speech of

                        HON. W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 18, 2003

  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, the Energy Policy Act of 2003, among other 
things, would authorize the promulgation of mandatory and enforceable 
standards for the North American transmission system by an Electric 
Reliability Organization subject to FERC oversight in the U.S. Having 
been so recently reminded that transmission system failures and system 
reliability do not respect state or international boundaries, it is 
essential that this legislation protect consumers in one state from 
actions or events in another. Under the plain language of new FPA 
section 215 (i)(3), no state may take any action with respect to the 
safety, adequacy and reliability of electric service within that State 
if that action is determined by the Electric Reliability Organization 
or by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to be inconsistent with 
any reliability standard. A regional entity that satisfies the 
requirements of new section 215 (e)(4) may propose to the Electric 
Reliability Organization reliability standards that reflect regional 
differences, and the Electric Reliability Organization may approve such 
proposed standards when justified.

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