[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 30 (Thursday, February 13, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H700-H703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GRID RELIABILITY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 3, 2025, the gentlewoman from North Dakota (Mrs. Fedorchak) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
General Leave
Mrs. FEDORCHAK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from North Dakota?
There was no objection.
Mrs. FEDORCHAK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I wanted to start this speech with a real-time exercise.
I wanted to suddenly have all the lights go out in here. Imagine what
would happen if we did that. It would be pitch black in this room.
Everything would come to a halt. The microphones would stop. We
wouldn't be able to see each other. People watching online would
certainly be confused. We would all wonder what was going on.
{time} 1215
Would we be able to see to walk around, to get out? Would anyone
panic? Then, let's imagine if the outage wasn't just in this room or
this building, but all across Washington, D.C. At first, there would be
silence, but it wouldn't take long before confusion and, perhaps, chaos
ensued.
Now, let's imagine this happening in my State of North Dakota where
just this week, temperatures dropped to minus 22 degrees for many days
in a row. In fact, this morning was the first day it rose above zero.
What would that mean to lose power when it is 22 below? People's
livelihoods be at risk. Children couldn't go to school. Hospitals would
be unable to care for people. Businesses would come to a standstill.
Energy production would halt. Livestock would be threatened. Homes and
properties would freeze up.
It wouldn't take very long in that kind of weather for the economy of
North Dakota to grind to a halt and for people to die if we had no
power. This isn't some farfetched scenario. This is a real threat in
America today.
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation warns that two-
thirds of the United States is at an elevated risk of blackouts, of not
having enough reliable power to meet demand when we need it the most.
This map clearly illustrates the problem.
Every area of America in red and yellow on this map has an elevated
risk of not having enough power to meet demand; not tomorrow, not in 5
years or 10 years, today. This is the scenario today in America.
That is why I am on the House floor today to sound the alarm about
our grid reliability crisis and to highlight five practical solutions
to keep the lights on. First, let's talk about why this happening. What
is driving this problem?
It really comes down to one thing: We are retiring power plants
faster than we are replacing them. Seriously, it is that simple. In
States throughout our Nation, power providers are shutting down massive
amounts of traditional power generation from power plants that can be
turned on, up or down, as needed to follow demand.
They are retiring these generators faster than they are able to bring
on new generators that can provide the same kind of always-available
power. Grid operators measure this availability in terms of capacity,
and there are two kinds.
First, there is installed capacity. That is the maximum amount of
power a generator can churn out in the best conditions. For example,
most wind farms in North Dakota have a nameplate capacity of 300
megawatts. Our largest coal fire facility is 1,100 megawatts. Over on
this chart, the blue line on top represents nameplate capacity.
The second capacity term, is called accredited capacity. That is the
amount of power that can be counted on, regardless of conditions. Grid
operators determine the value of accredited capacity. They look at
performance of a generator over time, how it works in different
conditions, and they determine how much of that power they can rely on
when they need it the most in any weather condition.
That same wind farm would likely have an accredited capacity that is
30 percent of its nameplate capacity or in a 300-megawatt wind farm, a
fraction of that would be accredited capacity. The coal facility
probably comes in at about 80 to 90 percent of nameplate capacity, so
about 950 megawatts of accredited capacity.
In the MISO market, this region here in red, that serves 15 States.
Roughly, 42 million Americans get their power in the MISO region. The
operators in that region warn that the accredited capacity, the line on
the bottom here, the red, is shrinking dramatically even though we are
spending a lot of money installing more and more generation on a
nameplate capacity.
You can see this clearly in these two lines. The top line, the blue,
is nameplate capacity. Americans are paying for that to be installed.
The red line below is accredited capacity. Americans are already paying
for that, too. The red line is what you can count on when times are
tough, when it is 22 below. The blue line is questionable. That is
dependent on the weather.
If you ever wonder why your utility prices are rising, but you face
more risk for blackouts or brownouts, this gap is why. That is why NERC
keeps warning us with reports, forecasts, and maps like this. MISO is
in the red zone on this map. All the yellow zones also have elevated
risk.
In a nation as blessed with natural resources and brilliant people
like the United States, there is no reason to ever run short of power.
Our whole country should be blue. We should never run short of power
ever.
We will have storms that knock the power off for a time, but to not
have enough power to meet demand, that is just bad planning and
terrible leadership. That is the bad news today. The good news is this:
We can fix this. We have the resources. We have the technology, and now
we just need to act.
Here are the five key steps--the five solutions to this problem.
First, we need regulatory relief. Right now, Federal regulations are
strangling our energy producers, making it nearly impossible for them
to meet our power demand. We must repeal the EPA's greenhouse gas rule.
We must eliminate the methane fee rule and roll back the BLM resource
management plan for North Dakota and other States. We must reform the
new source performance standards that prevent power providers from
making efficiency improvements to their existing fleets, the ones that
are already connected to the grid, to improve them, to help them
produce more power in a cleaner and more efficient way.
That new source performance standard is just bad policy. It makes no
sense at all. These are just a few examples of Biden administration
policies that have imposed crushing costs and regulatory burdens on the
power sector. They are jeopardizing the stability of our grid and the
livelihoods of hardworking Americans.
Second, we must reevaluate Federal incentives for energy production.
Our government has distorted the energy market with subsidies that
favor certain resources while neglecting others. This has resulted in a
grid that is too dependent on the weather. Think back to the map from
NERC, two-thirds of the country at an elevated risk of not having
enough power to meet demand.
It is time to realign these incentives. Today, our grid operators are
calling for more dispatchable generation, more capacity. They want to
fill that gap in those two lines that I showed earlier.
Think of the MISO zone in red on my first map. MISO is desperate for
more power resources that can be turned on when needed, but here is the
stack of resources that are in line to connect with the MISO grid. You
see this over time, it goes back to the year 2000, and shows back then
there was a decent amount of gas--the blue lines are gas, and then you
start seeing wind coming online.
[[Page H701]]
If you go all the way over to the far side of this map, you see this
stack of resources currently in line in MISO, 171 gigawatts of
resources, actually more resources than the entire nameplate or the
entire peak demand in MISO is currently in line.
Today, in that column, you see it is almost filled with solar and
wind resources. Fortunately, some battery too, but those are not the
dispatchable resources MISO is calling for and clamoring for. Only a
sliver of gas on the bottom is in line to connect to MISO, even though
they are desperate for more gas to help make it a more stable grid.
We must ensure that our Federal policy doesn't exacerbate this
problem and current vulnerabilities that have been created by a flood
of wind and solar, which are weather-dependent generation. Instead, we
must support fair markets that better encourage the investments needed
to meet growing demand and long-term grid reliability and stability.
Third, we need to speed up the permitting process. Right now, it can
take years, sometimes decades, to get approval for new energy projects.
This is unacceptable, especially when we have transformative
technologies ready to go, like small modular reactors. These advanced
nuclear systems are safe, reliable, clean, and capable of powering
entire communities.
I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and
leaders, like Energy Secretary Chris Wright, to cut through the
bureaucratic red tape and accelerate deployment of these new
technologies.
Fourth, we must implement rules that protect grid reliability. As I
mentioned earlier, it was well below freezing throughout North Dakota
this week. My State and region weathered those temperatures largely
because of coal, natural gas, and nuclear power.
This chart here is straight from MISO data. It illustrates the energy
that was used this week in the MISO region to meet demand. As you can
see, fully 80 percent of those resources were coal, natural gas, and
nuclear. That is what came online when the temperatures were 22 below
to keep the power on for all the people living in those cold areas.
Yet, despite this reality, States are racing to shut down these
reliable baseload power generators that are responsible for powering
our communities, replacing it with intermittent resources--that huge
stack that was in the queue in the line in MISO, that huge stake of
wind and solar--the intermittent resources that cannot reliably meet
all the demands of our grid or the people who depend on it.
I have nothing against wind and solar. North Dakota has tons of wind
generation online, but it is simply not capable today to meet the
demands of the grid. The people who are responsible for making sure our
grids are reliable are the ones saying that over and over.
This is reckless. We need Federal safeguards to ensure before a power
plant is retired, there is a reliable replacement ready to go online.
We cannot afford to gamble with our Nation's energy security. Energy
security is national security.
Finally, we need to better understand the growing demands of the AI
industry. AI and other data-intensive technologies are driving massive
increases in energy consumption.
As Vice President Vance acknowledged in Paris this week, if we are to
remain competitive in the global economy, we need to remove the
barriers to development and unleash the full potential of American
energy resources. This means embracing an all-of-the-above strategy
that includes battery technology to back up renewables, but also oil,
gas, nuclear, and hydropower, whatever it takes to power our future.
Mr. Speaker, grid reliability is not a partisan issue. It is an
American issue. Our security, our economy, and our way of life depend
on it. We cannot be a beacon for the world, or even safe in our own
homes, if we are sitting in the dark without power. We have the
resources. We have the technology. Now, we must act. America can and
must remain the most powerful, prosperous, and innovative Nation on
Earth. I look forward to working with my colleagues to do just that.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).
Mrs. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Congresswoman Fedorchak for
hosting this Special Order to raise awareness of the critical need the
United States is facing to become energy independent.
Protecting our environment is not controversial. I represent a
district in southern California. Unfortunately, Californians know too
well the consequences of rushing to implement energy policies.
{time} 1230
Mr. Speaker, as Governor Newsom pushed to ban gas-powered cars, he
then said people couldn't charge electric cars as our community saw
rolling blackouts. It doesn't need to be one or the other--environment
or economy, natural gas or renewables.
We need an all-of-the-above energy strategy. Through American
innovation, we create jobs, expand our energy supply, protect our
environment, lower costs, and strengthen our national security.
Energy fuels everything from our cars to our homes, and we must
ensure we have energy resources here at home that we can rely on. I
will keep fighting to bring commonsense energy policies to Congress.
Again, I thank Congresswoman Fedorchak for her leadership on this
issue.
Mrs. FEDORCHAK. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Kim. She has lived
this in her State of California, and I appreciate her bringing
attention to the false choice of one or the other. We can and must do
it all.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Haridopolos).
Mr. HARIDOPOLOS. Mr. Speaker, this is an important issue which has
affected us all. We have seen prices rise by 20 to 30 percent over the
last 4 years. Unfortunately, because of the policies of the previous
administration, we have seen these challenges become more and more
difficult as we take the reins of power once again in Washington, D.C.
There is no other way to put it other than energy dominance is
essential. It is the best way to ensure we have American prosperity,
national security, innovation, excellence in energy, and a reliable
grid, as the Congresswoman has talked about today.
Fortunately, we have persons who are experts right here in the United
States Congress, a new Member of Congress, Mrs. Fedorchak, on the
Energy and Commerce Committee. She understands firsthand the essential
nature of energy and why it is so important to all Americans as they
face challenges here and abroad.
If we can meet all of those criteria--prosperity, national security,
innovation, and reliable energy--we will once again have lower prices
at the grocery store, lower prices for the gas tank, and make sure we
stay warm in the winter and cool in places like Florida in the summer.
Mr. Speaker, I applaud this effort. If we have an all-in energy
solution and energy dominance, once again, as the Congresswoman has
talked about, America can move forward and meet the challenges of
tomorrow.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak this afternoon on this Special
Order and make sure that we are moving forward with the leadership of
Donald Trump and leaders like Congresswoman Fedorchak on the Energy and
Commerce Committee.
Mrs. FEDORCHAK. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Haridopolos. We certainly
need a lot of power to get out in space. His dreams and his leadership
in that area are certainly noted. We need power to fuel those, too, and
I thank him for being here today.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber).
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North
Dakota. Like my preceding colleague just said, she is great on the
Committee on energy. She is an energy busybody. She is moving and
shaking for being brand new. I thank her for the opportunity to speak
today.
Mr. Speaker, I will tell everyone that being on the Energy and
Commerce Committee has been the delight of my life. It means a lot to
America.
When I speak to groups, Mr. Speaker, whether they are school-aged
kids or whether they are college or whether they are industry or
whatever it might be, I tell people that the things that make America
great are the things that America makes.
How do we do that? We do that with a reliable, affordable, dependable
[[Page H702]]
source of energy, Mr. Speaker. We do that with grid reliability, a
critical issue that affects every single American. Our Nation's
economy, our security, and our very way of life depend on energy that
is stable, affordable, and, yes, resilient.
Today, our system is under threat. When we talk about grid
reliability, we have to start with the facts. Right now fossil fuels,
natural gas, coal, and even petroleum supply 60 percent of our
electricity. Natural gas alone provides 40 percent and up. It keeps the
lights on in homes. It keeps the lights on in businesses and factories
all across America.
Did I mention, Mr. Speaker, that the things that make America great
are the things that America makes?
Add in nuclear power at nearly 19 percent, and it is clear that these
are the backbone of our energy system economically, politically, and
militarily. Yet, despite this reliability, these proven sources are
under attack by radical policies that push unreliable energy at the
expense of energy that actually works.
Mr. Speaker, that is changing now. The Trump administration has made
it clear. We are going to put American energy first. We are increasing
domestic production, cutting unnecessary regulations, and ensuring that
our power grids remain strong and resilient. That means expanding
natural gas. That means investing in nuclear energy. That means making
sure we have the very infrastructure to keep energy flowing to American
homes and businesses.
Did I mention, Mr. Speaker, that the things that make America great
are the things that America makes?
Yet, here is what is happening. The premature shutdown of our most
reliable energy sources--coal, natural gas, and nuclear--put our entire
grid at risk. The Nation's largest grid operator, PJM, which serves
much of the eastern U.S., warns that up to 30 percent of its power
generation could retire by 2030.
Meanwhile, demand is expected to rise 40 percent by 2039. I am not
good at math, Mr. Speaker. I don't think that adds up. We cannot take
away reliable generation and then just simply pretend we don't face an
energy crisis. That is pie in the sky.
Thankfully, President Trump understands this and is working to ensure
we do not face a future of rolling blackouts and energy shortages. He
probably understands, Mr. Speaker, that the things that make America
great are the things that America makes.
If the United States is serious about remaining a leader in energy
and technology, we must embrace energy expansion. That means building
more pipelines. Pipelines are the safest and most efficient way to
transport energy. Yet they are being blocked by overregulations and bad
policy, and that is why the Trump administration is committed to
cutting the red tape, getting pipelines built, and making sure American
energy can move freely to where it is needed so that the things that
make America great can continue to be made.
Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker. Modernizing our grid does not mean
pushing expensive and unreliable energy mandates on taxpayers.
Americans should not be forced to foot the bill for an agenda that
actually weakens our power supply. What we need is a balanced,
commonsense approach that prioritizes affordability, reliability,
stability, and security.
With the Trump administration back in office, Mr. Speaker, we now
have leadership that values energy independence, as well as economic
growth. This Congress, on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I look
forward to advancing real solutions to hardening our energy grid, to
protect it from cyberattacks, to protect it from supply chain
disruptions, and to protect it from natural disasters.
Mr. Speaker, America needs a grid that works when we need it. That
means standing up for natural gas. That means investing in nuclear.
That means protecting our pipelines. That means rejecting reckless
policies that put politics ahead of not only reliability but reality.
The things that make America great are the things that America makes.
President Trump, thanks to his leadership, is on the right path to
securing a future based on that premise, and I thank the gentlewoman
from North Dakota for holding this Special Order.
Mrs. FEDORCHAK. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Weber for being
here and leaving us with that really great phrase. The things that make
America great are the things that America makes. I love that.
Mr. Speaker, we can and we must meet the challenge of a reliable,
affordable, sustainable power grid.
As President Trump said: ``In America, the impossible is what we do
best.'' We can do this, and we will lead the world in this venture.
Mr. Speaker, we have talked a lot about the challenges that face
American energy. I want to talk about the opportunities we have, too.
With an energy supply that is affordable, reliable, and dependable, the
United States can lead the way on emissions reductions and artificial
intelligence.
Today, I want to talk about AI. To be AI dominant, we must first be
energy dominant. That is why today I am announcing my plans to create
an AI and Energy Working Group.
While my colleagues are thankfully working hard on regulations,
speech, and other components of AI, this working group will focus
exclusively on AI and the energy this growing technology demands.
This work will be complementary to and not duplicative of other
efforts by my colleagues, including the Speaker's Task Force on AI,
which completed its work last December. My goal is to bring in experts
and stakeholders, legislators, and other interested parties to fully
explore these power needs, the current barriers to meeting them, and
Federal policy solutions to help reliably, affordably, and sustainably
power the future of AI. I plan to follow four main pillars.
My first pillar is: Meeting AI energy demands requires American
energy dominance.
Today, AI searches consume nearly 10 times the electricity of
standard internet searches. In 2024, data centers accounted for 4.3
percent of total U.S. power demand. Analysts predict this could climb
to as much as 12 percent by 2030.
To put that into perspective, that would be more electricity than the
entire State of Texas uses today. Yet, the U.S. isn't scaling up
reliable baseload power quickly enough to support this rapid growth. In
fact, the Biden administration's policies are forcing this baseload
power offline.
If we don't act, we risk energy shortages, higher costs, and a
slowdown in technological advancement. To secure their energy needs,
major tech companies are locking in exclusive long-term power
contracts.
For example, in September, Microsoft entered an agreement to reopen
the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to reliably power its AI data
center. While I support these types of agreements, we must also ensure
that smaller companies and new players in the AI industry have access
to the power they need to innovate and compete.
Meeting the energy demands of AI isn't just about powering
technology. It is about powering America's future.
Now that brings us to pillar number two: A strong, secure electronic
grid.
The rapid, forced transition to intermittent power sources, paired
with the retirement of reliable baseload generators, has left our
electric grid increasingly vulnerable to outages.
Today, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation warns that
two-thirds of the United States faces an elevated risk of not having
enough power to meet the demand of having blackouts.
As we have become more reliant on power-dependent digital
infrastructure, the stakes are even higher.
Having enough power isn't our only concern. Cyberattacks targeting
U.S. grid operations and infrastructure are a growing threat that could
disrupt everything from everyday conveniences to our national security.
If AI is to flourish, we must prioritize grid reliability and security.
This leads me to pillar number three: This requires the right energy
regulations.
According to the report from the bipartisan House Task Force on
Artificial Intelligence, new AI models are developed roughly every 6
months, and data centers are built within 1 to 2 years.
[[Page H703]]
{time} 1245
Meanwhile, new power plants and transmission infrastructure can take
at least 5 to 10 years to build. This creates, obviously, a significant
gap between the rapid growth of AI and the slow growth of the power
supply needed to support it.
Our current energy regulatory environment is not equipped to bridge
this gap. I know this environment well. I served 12 years as a State
energy regulator.
We need forward-thinking regulations that empower both small
innovators, who depend on the bulk power system, and larger firms that
secure power through long-term agreements.
By ensuring a level energy playing field, we can position America as
the global leader in AI development, and we can outpace China.
This leads me to pillar number four: America, not China, must be the
global leader of AI innovation.
On January 20 of this year, China unveiled DeepSeek-R1. It is the
most advanced large language model reportedly developed with less
advanced processors at a fraction of the cost of U.S. models. This
proves that China is rapidly closing the gap, and we can't afford to
fall behind.
The Trump administration recognizes this urgency. That is why, just 3
days after the new Chinese revelation, on January 23, President Trump
signed Executive Order No. 14179: Removing Barriers to American
Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.
This order overturned President Biden's mandates that had stifled
American investment and innovation in AI. With this decisive action, we
are reclaiming our competitive edge. It is time to take the handcuffs
off our AI industry and unleash the full potential of American
ingenuity.
Winning the future of AI requires bold action, smart energy policy,
and a commitment to American innovation. That is why I will engage with
a broad range of voices and stakeholders, big and small, to craft a
legislative framework that secures our energy dominance, strengthens
our electric grid, and positions America as the global leader in AI.
For those with ideas on how we can achieve these goals, my door is
always open. Together, we can power the future of AI and assure that
America, not China, leads the way back.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cline).
Mr. CLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for holding this
Special Order and for her leadership on energy issues. The House is
truly fortunate to have her as a Member.
Mrs. Fedorchak is exactly right. We have, as our top priority, the
need to restore energy independence for this country and energy
dominance, especially in regard to our relationship with nations like
China that are pushing to lead in AI and other technologies.
We are dependent on China for rare earth minerals that are so
important to powering our grid, powering the technologies that support
AI. That is why it is great that the Trump administration is leading on
ways in which we can explore not only in the continental United States
for rare earth minerals but also talking to other countries, talking to
countries like Greenland and Ukraine, quite frankly, making comments
about the need to ensure that the U.S. has the rare earth mineral
supply that it needs to support the AI initiatives that are happening
in this country. We need to be the leader in AI globally. If not, we
cede it to China.
We just had a hearing yesterday in the Judiciary Committee about what
would happen with the censorship-industrial complex if other nations,
whether it is Europe and their privacy directive or China through their
efforts in AI, to dictate what can and cannot be said on the internet.
When it comes to energy, what is most important is the American
consumer, the American citizen. What we have seen over the last several
years is that American citizens are suffering under the Green New Deal
agenda, the increasing dependence on other countries for our energy
needs, and the need to restore that energy independence in order to
target costs, bring down inflation, and actually allow Americans to be
able to afford the important technologies and appliances and other
things that are critical to daily living.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, since 2021,
energy prices under the Biden administration outpaced inflation, with
consumers seeing an average rise of 10 percent. This is all despite the
massive glut of subsidies that the Biden administration pushed to prop
up Green New Deal technologies that otherwise wouldn't exist without
government handouts.
Thankfully, we have a new President, a new sheriff in town, one who
will bring online more energy production and ensure that the days of $5
gas prices are left behind along with Biden's failed legacy.
Moreover, this administration will prioritize affordability and
consumer choice in appliances, focusing on cutting burdensome red tape,
not on regulating your gas stoves or water heaters at home, which we
saw the Biden administration seek to regulate in the waning days of the
administration, the outgoing days of that administration.
Just this week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed his first
secretarial order meant to unleash a golden era of American energy
dominance. I look forward to working with them and the administration
to lend whatever support and authority is needed from Congress to
achieve tangible results for the American people.
At the end of the day, that is what it is all about, is making sure
that we deliver for the American people and ensure that this great
Nation continues its energy dominance that we had under the first Trump
administration, that we lost under the failed Biden administration, and
that we are seeking to regain under the current Trump administration.
I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership, and I look forward to
working with her on these issues.
Mrs. FEDORCHAK. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Cline for taking the time to
participate in the Special Order this afternoon, especially on a fly-
out day when everyone is heading back to their districts to be with the
citizens they represent.
Energy dominance and energy independence is the foundation for the
massive new agenda that we must move forward with in America today. It
is the foundation for driving down inflation, for lowering costs of
everything from housing to utilities to rent to groceries and gas. The
cost of power is baked into everything we buy. It is the foundation for
powering economic growth. It is the foundation for becoming AI
dominant, and it is clearly the foundation for national security.
I thank everyone who participated in this Special Order this
afternoon, and I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________