[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 11, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5228-S5229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. CLINTON:
  S. 2406. A bill to promote the reliability of the electric 
transmission grid through the Cross-Sound Cable; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a legislation to 
restore operation of the Cross Sound Cable.
  I was dismayed to learn last Friday that the Secretary of Energy had 
issued an order that effectively shut down the Cross Sound Cable. The 
cable had been operating since Secretary Abraham issued an order 
directing that the cable be turned on almost immediately after the 
August 14, 2003 blackout.
  I believe that last Friday's decision is shortsighted, and I am 
extremely concerned that it will put Long Island at immediate risk of 
power failures as we enter the summer peak demand months.
  The Cross Sound Cable has provided proven reliability benefits at a 
time when a shortage of generation and transmission facilities 
continues to exist on Long Island and in Southern New England. The 
Cross Sound Cable transmitted 300 MW of power over the Blackout 
weekend, enough to turn on the power in about 300,000 homes on Long 
Island. Since beginning full-time operation on September 1, 2003, the 
Cross Sound Cable has transmitted nearly one-half million megawatt-
hours of electricity to help provide sufficient power to prevent more 
blackouts or brownouts on the island.
  Additionally, the extra power from the Cable makes more power 
available on Long Island to export over another submarine cable into 
Southwestern Connecticut when needed, thereby making the regional power 
grid more resilient. The independent grid operators have successfully 
tested sending power over the Cross Sound Cable to Long Island and then 
simultaneously sending power from Western Long Island over another 
submarine cable to Southwest Connecticut. During a severe cold spell in 
January, Long Island

[[Page S5229]]

Power Authority was prepared to send 200 mw of power over Cross Sound 
Cable to help Connecticut if needed. Over the short- to long-term, the 
Cable thus allows excess New York-generated power to be transmitted to 
Connecticut to help prevent blackouts and brownouts.
  In addition, the vital role of the Cross Sound Cable was confirmed in 
the final report of the U.S.-Canada Task Force on the Blackout. The 
blackout report concludes that ``[r]eactive power problems were a 
significant factor in the August 14 outage, and they were also 
important elements in several of the earlier outages . . .'' During the 
August 14 blackout, the Cross Sound Cable provided critical reactive 
power to Long Island and Connecticut to help stabilize the system. 
Cross Sound has responded to and corrected 17 unanticipated reactive 
power problems such as lightning strikes and equipment failures. 
CONVEX, the Connecticut arm of the independent transmission system 
operator, ISO-New England, has relied on Cross Sound to provide 
reactive power for voltage support on a preventive basis 84 times. 
Cross Sound Cable is currently the only operating cable system in 
Connecticut and Long Island capable of providing dynamic reactive power 
support during sensitive energy demand periods.
  Nearly every day now, the Cable operates under the direction of 
CONVEX to provide voltage support to Connecticut.
  In summary, the Cross Sound Cable has provided reliability benefits 
at a time when a transmission and generation shortage persists in the 
region. I strongly believe that this critical energy link between New 
England and New York should remain operational until all reliability 
studies required by the Blackout Task Force are completed and all of 
the resulting recommendations are implemented to prevent further large-
scale blackouts in this region. Until all of these steps occur, I 
believe that an emergency situation clearly continues to exist.
  That is why I am introducing this legislation today. In essence, the 
legislation overrides the order issue by Secretary Abraham on May 7, 
2004, reinstates his order of August 28, 2003, and provides that that 
later order shall remain in effect unless rescinded by an Act of 
Congress. This would turn the cable back on and leave it on until 
Congress determines it is appropriate to shut it down. That day may 
indeed come, but for now, we are facing the prospect of power outages 
on Long Island as we head into the peak-demand months of the summer.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2406

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

     SECTION 1. CROSS-SOUND CABLE ORDER.

       Notwithstanding Department of Energy Order No. 202-03-4, 
     issued by the Secretary of Energy on May 7, 2004, or any 
     other provision of law, Department of Energy Order No. 202-
     03-2, issued by the Secretary of Energy on August 28, 2003, 
     is reinstated effective on the date of enactment of this Act 
     and shall remain in effect unless rescinded by Act of 
     Congress.
                                 ______