Lizzie Fletcher

Madam Speaker, Procedure · 9 wordsI yield myself such time as I may consume.Procedure Madam Speaker, Claims · 61 wordsDemocrats have argued for years that growing our power grid is crucial. A grid that is too small, too dumb, and too rigid only serves to make power unreliable and increase American families’ power bills. A grid that is larger, smarter, and more flexible is what we need, especially if we hope to withstand a wave of data-center-driven demand for power. Reasoning · 34 wordsWhile it is critical that we give grid operators new tools to build new power lines, the cheapest and quickest way to expand our grid is to get more of what we currently have. Claims · 66 wordsFor decades, utilities have largely used the same conductors and power lines, but it doesn’t have to be that way. New advanced conductors can often carry much more power through the same transmission line than traditional conductors.⁴ H.R. 6633, the High-Capacity Grid Act would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, to issue a rule requiring utilities to use the best available class of transmission conductors.¹ Procedure · 7 wordsI want to note two important things.Procedure Claims · 108 wordsFirst, the bill focuses on the best-available class of conductors, not a single technology.² The goal here is not to favor a single company or a single technology, but to give FERC and the Department of Energy the flexibility to designate what constitutes the best-available class of conductors. Second, the bill relies on FERC to maintain a balance, to ensure that utilities have the ability to use other conductors when they really need to, ³and to ensure that the exceptions do not become the rule. This bill is only a small part of a much larger conversation we need to have about how to expand our power grid. Positioning · 33 wordsUnfortunately, Republicans and the Trump administration have been reluctant to engage in serious conversations on what we can do to build a grid for the 21st century. I think that is a shame, PositioningThe ask · 39 wordsand there should be more transmission bills on the floor along with this one today. We should be considering Energy Subcommittee Ranking Member Castor’s bill to speed up the process that generators use to connect to the power grid.Off point Claims · 17 wordsThis bill certainly won’t solve the problem by itself, but it does represent an important first step. Madam Speaker, The ask · 8 wordsI urge my colleagues to support this bill, Procedure · 8 wordsand I reserve the balance of my time.Procedure