House Passes Energy and Commerce Bills to Support Reliable Power, Strengthen Our Electric Grid

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, and Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12), Vice-Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, celebrated the House passage of two bills advanced by the Committee on Energy and Commerce to strengthen grid security and support the use of reliable and affordable power.

H.R. 3616, the Reliable Power Act, introduced by Congressman Balderson (OH-12), improves federal rulemaking to ensure future federal regulations that impact power generation will not harm electric reliability, especially in regions already vulnerable to blackouts. H.R. 3632, the Power Plant Reliability Act, led by Congressman Griffith (VA-09), enhances existing tools under the Federal Power Act for states and grid operators to contest the closure of power plants in neighboring states if there is an impact on reliability. The legislation also requires power plants to provide a 5-year notice of any plans to retire.

Attributable to Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce:

"To support reliable and affordable electricity for hard-working American families, we cannot afford to take baseload power offline or burden our grid with misguided regulations that prevent delivery of 365/24/7 power to our communities," said Chairman Guthrie. "The Power Plant Reliability Act enhances the tools available to states and grid operators to keep vital power plants operational and prevent blackouts. Further, the Reliable Power Act ensures that red tape and federal rulemaking will no longer harm electric reliability, especially in communities that are at risk of potential blackouts. The ongoing reliability crisis facing our nation has been caused by Democrat policies designed to drive out baseload power in favor of wind and solar that cannot meet our current needs. Thank you to Chairman Griffith and Congressman Balderson for leading this critical legislation to strengthen our grid and lower electricity prices."

Attributable to Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health:

"Because of radical 'Green New Deal' policies that shun reliable forms of energy like natural gas, coal and nuclear, our electric grid faces a brewing crisis of premature baseload power plant retirements," said Chairman Griffith. "My bill, the Power Plant Reliability Act, will help shield Americans from blackout threats and ensure the reliable delivery of power to American homes, factories, and communities. Thanks to strong leaders like Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer, Chairwoman McClain, Chairman Guthrie and Chairwoman Foxx, the United States Congress is focused on supporting affordable and reliable energy solutions for the American people."

Attributable to Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12), Vice-Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations:

"America is facing a reliability crisis-one made worse by the last administration's regulatory chaos and radical climate agenda," said Congressman Balderson. "After unelected bureaucrats spent years waging war on American energy, President Trump and his Administration have finally reined in agency overreach and restored energy dominance as a national priority. The Reliable Power Act puts common-sense guardrails in place so families aren't left facing blackouts, price spikes, or uncertainty every time they flip a switch."

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BACKGROUND:

H.R. 3632, the Power Plant Reliability Act-Rep. Griffith (VA-09)

• This legislation enhances existing tools for states and grid operators to contest the closure of power plants in neighboring states if there is an impact on grid reliability. The bill also requires power plants to provide a 5-year notice of any plans to retire.
• The states with the highest electricity prices are overwhelmingly the same states with the most aggressive forms of renewable portfolio standards, and this legislation will help to ensure that baseload power plants don't go offline in the places that need them most.

H.R. 3616, the Reliable Power Act-Rep. Balderson (OH-12)

• This legislation addresses the threat of rolling blackouts caused by the Biden-Harris Administration's over reliance on wind and solar power by improving federal rulemaking to ensure that future federal regulations that impact power generation will not harm electric reliability.
• The bill amends the Federal Power Act to require FERC review and comment on any federal rules that impact electricity generation during periods of high reliability risks, like the extreme cold we are already seeing this winter, to ensure new rules will not harm electric power reliability.