Troy Balderson

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Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Guthrie for his continued leadership of the committee. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9332, the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, which shields Americans from unnecessary costs and strengthens long-term energy reliability. Our electric grid is entering a period of historic change. We see rapid growth in demand from advanced manufacturing and electrification. These projects represent economic opportunity and investment in our communities, but they also raise important questions: How much electricity are we going to need, and where do we need it? Keeping the lights on starts with understanding changing power needs and getting the right infrastructure in place. For years, experts have warned that our grid operators face growing reliability risks as electricity demand continues to increase, which means we need to get serious about planning for the future. Getting the forecast wrong can create problems in both directions. If we underestimate demand, we risk not building enough generation and transmission to keep the lights on. If we overestimate the demand, we could end up spending billions of dollars on infrastructure for projects that never materialize, leaving American ratepayers responsible for footing the bill. The Load Forecasting Enhancement Act would bring State utility regulators and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission together through regional joint boards to identify best practices for forecasting future electricity demand. FERC would then report those findings and recommendations to Congress. The bill also requires States to consider incorporating the recommendations, greatly improving transparency and accountability in load forecasting. With this legislation, we can make sure the people responsible for planning our electric grid have the best information possible. Madam Speaker, we want America to lead the world in manufacturing and innovation. We want businesses to invest and create good-paying jobs. Most importantly, we want communities across Ohio and across this country to benefit from the growth. By passing my bill, Congress can help lower costs for consumers and ensure our grid can keep pace with the growing demand. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from New Jersey, Congressman Menendez, for co-leading the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act with me. This bipartisan legislation was passed unanimously out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill here today.