Washington (November 8, 2023) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-chair of the Senate Climate Change Task Force, hosted a bicameral forum today between the Senate Climate Change Task Force and the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition to spotlight transmission policies that would improve electric grid reliability, bolster system resiliency, and advance the clean energy economy across the United States. The Senate Climate Change Task Force is co-chaired by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition’s Clean Energy Deployment Task Force is co-chaired by Representatives Sean Casten (IL-06) and Mike Levin (CA-49). Senators Markey and Whitehouse, along with Representatives Casten and Levin, led 18 of their colleagues who were in attendance.
The discussion presented an opportunity for Senate and House leaders on climate and clean energy to discuss major challenges and areas of interest in pursuing commonsense solutions, including the process for regional and interregional transmission planning, construction, and cost allocation; cutting-edge technologies; and offshore wind deployment, to pioneer an equitable and efficient national grid.
Rob Gramlich, founder and president of Grid Strategies, testified at the event on how transmission will help the United States meet its clean energy goals.
“Our energy sector is at a critical turning point, as renewable energy is more affordable, more reliable, and more in demand than ever,” said Senator Markey. “As lawmakers, we successfully passed the Inflation Reduction Act, turbocharging a green energy revolution, and now, we must build a transmission network that can deliver for communities in every corner of our nation—that’s why I first introduced the CHARGE Act in 2021 and continue to fight for provisions that bring power to the people.”
“As we work to build a renewable energy future, we must first plan, pay for, and permit transmission lines to carry additional energy across state lines,” said Senator Whitehouse. “Just this week, I sent a letter urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to strengthen and swiftly finalize its pending transmission rules to provide reliable, resilient and affordable service to ratepayers and bring our national energy infrastructure into the twenty-first century.”
“To fully realize the affordability, reliability, resilience, and environmental benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act, we need to accelerate the rate at which we deploy electricity transmission,” said Representative Casten. “Congressman Mike Levin and I plan to introduce the Clean Electricity and Transmission Acceleration Act shortly to do just that. I thank Senator Markey for convening this panel to discuss what it will take to advance the clean energy transition.”
“Without the proper transmission policies, the United States is at risk of losing out on the full benefits of the historic investments in clean energy that Congress has already enacted,” said Representative Levin. “If we want all Americans to benefit from clean, reliable, and low-cost energy, then it’s essential Congress accelerate the clean energy transition, ensure the resilience and reliability of our electric grid, and build out more transmission to move clean energy from where it’s generated to homes across the country. I’m glad to be working with my colleague Congressman Casten on the Clean Electricity and Transmission Acceleration Act to help us meet our climate goals and ensure all communities are brought into the clean energy future.”
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