[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 290 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 290
Recognizing that the retirement of nonintermittent electric generation
facilities, before facilities with equal or greater reliability
attributes are available, is a threat to the reliability of the United
States electric grid.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 2, 2025
Ms. Fedorchak (for herself and Ms. Lee of Florida) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing that the retirement of nonintermittent electric generation
facilities, before facilities with equal or greater reliability
attributes are available, is a threat to the reliability of the United
States electric grid.
Whereas the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, in the 2024 Long-
Term Reliability Assessment, identified several transmission regions as
being at elevated or high risk of electricity shortages during extreme
weather conditions or normal peak conditions, including--
(1) the Electric Reliability Council of Texas;
(2) the Midcontinent Independent System Operator;
(3) the New England Subregion of the Northeast Power Coordinating
Council;
(4) the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland Interconnection;
(5) the East region of the SERC Reliability Corporation;
(6) the Southwest Power Pool; and
(7) the California and Mexico Subregion of the Western Electricity
Coordinating Council;
Whereas the North American Electric Reliability Corporation anticipates the
reserve margins of 18 out of 20 transmission subregions to fall below
their respective reference margins by 2034, 7 of which are anticipated
to turn negative, meaning there will be less cushion, no cushion, or a
negative cushion to handle unexpected spikes in electricity demand
across most of the United States;
Whereas the North American Electric Reliability Corporation considers the
retirement of hydrocarbon-powered generation facilities, such as coal
and natural gas, and the rapid interconnection of intermittent sources,
such as solar and wind, as creating a variable and weather-dependent
resource mix, negatively affecting essential services and overall
electric grid reliability;
Whereas the North American Electric Reliability Corporation acknowledges that
natural gas pipelines are not being added to the United States resource
mix fast enough to meet demand, leaving some areas with insufficient
natural gas capacity for electric generation during peak demand;
Whereas the North American Electric Reliability Corporation identified
environmental regulations as the driving force behind retirements of
coal, natural gas, and nuclear generators, which could have a profound
and negative effect on the reliability of the bulk power system over the
next decade;
Whereas electricity consumption from artificial intelligence, regarded as a
strategically important emerging technology by the Department of
Defense, is expected to constitute up to 12 percent of total United
States electricity consumption by 2030;
Whereas total United States energy demand is expected to grow by 15 to 20
percent by 2035, according to the Department of Energy;
Whereas the United States Energy Information Administration projects, under a
high-growth scenario, that industrial sector energy consumption will
increase by 32 percent by 2050;
Whereas, on January 20, 2025, President Trump declared a National Energy
Emergency, stating that the policies of the previous administration have
pushed the United States into a crisis marked by an inadequate,
intermittent energy supply and a growing risk of electric grid
instability;
Whereas addressing this National Energy Emergency requires immediate and
decisive action to restore reliability and security to the United States
electric grid;
Whereas, on January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive order titled
``Unleashing American Energy'' which rightfully declares that it is in
the national interest to unleash the affordable and reliable energy and
natural resources of the United States;
Whereas President Trump's immediate attention to United States energy
underscores the outsized role that energy has in the domestic economy,
and how more domestic energy production will improve the affordability,
reliability, and sustainability of the electric grid of the United
States; and
Whereas a free and competitive energy market will restore the United States to
prosperity, including for middle-class men and women who have been
forgotten by the economy in recent years, and will rebuild the economic
and military security of the United States, which will deliver peace
through strength: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the instability of the United States
electric grid and the threat to electric grid reliability from
the retirement of nonintermittent electric generation
facilities without the replacement of such facilities with
facilities with the same attributes;
(2) recognizes that energy is not sustainable if it is not
affordable and reliable;
(3) recognizes that burdensome environmental regulations
and market-distorting Federal incentives are the driving force
behind premature retirements of nonintermittent electric
generating facilities, which raises prices and reduces the
reliability of electricity supply for United States households;
and
(4) supports President Trump's efforts to unleash United
States energy and encourages development of the God given
resources of the United States.
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