State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 936, I call up the bill (H.R. 3628) to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to add a standard related to State consideration of reliable generation, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

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Mr. GUTHRIE. 3628.

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3628, the State Planning For Reliability and Affordability Act, sponsored by my colleague Congressman Evans from Colorado.

H.R. 3628 directs State public utility commissions to consider implementing measures that would ensure utilities retain sufficient, reliable generation through their integrated resource plans to maintain the stability and affordability of their electric grids.

Over 35 States utilize resource plans to ensure their utilities are appropriately planning their investments in the electric grid.

The U.S. grid, commonly referred to as the greatest machine on Earth, is a complex system compromised of myriad components and infrastructure to deliver electricity that powers our economy and enables modern life for households.

To ensure the timely delivery of electricity at all times of the day, utilities have historically undergone extensive planning processes to methodically deploy ratepayer dollars to build requisite infrastructure.

Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen States move away from an integrated resource planning process centered on reliability and affordability toward one intended to achieve climate and environmental justice goals.

The central focus of utility planning must be on the end-use ratepayers, keeping the lights on for households at an affordable price. Unfortunately, the States that have taken the most aggressive stance on climate goals are the same States with the highest electricity rates in the country.

H.R. 3628 is fuel neutral and focused on attributes that are essential to reliability and affordability, such as frequency and voltage support. This legislation ensures that baseload and dispatchable resources, such as natural gas, hydropower, coal, and nuclear, are sufficiently considered as part of any 10-year plan.

There is a road for a diverse energy mix that includes renewables and storage, but we know that not all electrons are the same.

This is the exact message that the Committee on Energy and Commerce has heard in hearings with grid operators, utilities, engineers, and those charged with protecting the reliability of our grid. In fact, just last month, the head of the NERC called the current reliability crisis a five-alarm fire.

The State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act prioritizes the resources we need most. It will encourage States to take more responsibility over their systems.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta), my good friend and colleague on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy.

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Evans), a very important member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, first, I thank Congressman Evans for sponsoring the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act. Let's go back to what this bill does.

H.R. 3628 directs State public utility commissions to consider implementing measures that would ensure utilities retain sufficient reliable generation through their integrated resource plan to maintain the stability and affordability of their electric grids.

We have had a lot of discussion. We have been debating for the last few months. The Affordable Care Act passed 15 years ago. Insurance rates have doubled since that passed, and now, we are debating whether to deal with the rising costs of health insurance or continue to subsidize the rising costs. We want to deal with the underlying costs of health insurance.

We are talking about the affordability of green energy or clean energy. I am for all of the above, but if you remember what the Secretary said, he said he is for the best of the above. There are areas where the Sun shines and the Sun shines bright, and it shines bright on my old Kentucky home. There are areas for that. There are areas where solar makes sense, where wind makes sense, and where fossil fuels make sense.

When he says best of the above, he doesn't mean we don't do all of it. We do what fits in the right place at the cheapest price for our citizens. When you talk about investing in your own utilities, if clean energy--they keep saying they are going to go for more expensive energy as opposed to the cleaner energy. That is what they say. I will say, I think our energy companies want to go to the most affordable energy. That is what they want to produce.

What this does, if you look at the map, and a lot of people have looked at maps of energy prices, what are the highest cost electric prices in the country? I know my friend from Colorado pointed out to my other friend from Colorado that Colorado is up in the grid with California, New Jersey, and New York. They have higher energy prices, and it is because their general assemblies and their State governments have put additional climate issues in place, not to make energy more affordable, but it makes it more expensive. What we are saying here is that State planning commissions have to ensure in their plans that they look at affordability, reliability, and sustainability within their grids.

That is what this piece of legislation does. I encourage my colleagues to vote for it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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