Many people have expressed the need to modernize and upgrade our electrical transmission system to a unified smart grid. A smart grid system would employ a nation-wide “backbone” of high voltage transmission lines that connect “smart” local electric utilities to distant power plants. As more local utility networks are upgraded to smart grids, interactions with these backbone power lines will become more coordinated. A smart grid would maximize the efficiency of our nation’s electricity use, while greatly reducing waste and loss. Hydropower from the northwest could be directed to the Dakotas if that area’s wind turbine output decreases. Solar power from Arizona would be able to supply manufacturing in Ohio, or evening wind power from the Northeast could be used to supply power peak demand during the day in Nevada. Environmentalists say a unified smart grid and renewable power sources are essential to eliminating our carbon emissions. The cost of a unified smart grid has been estimated at $400-$500 billion.

Proposed Legislation: S.2915 - Enhancing Electric Grid Resilience Act (118th Congress 2023-2024)
Prospective Sponsor: Sen. Peter Welch (VT)

• I oppose reforming current smart grid policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Leader John Thune (SD).
• I support modernizing the electric grid by requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to establish rules for sharing costs of new interregional and offshore transmission, based on reliability, resilience, and environmental benefits by:
  
  1.) Requiring the FERC to set rules for allocating the costs of new transmission projects based on the specific benefits they provide, such as improved reliability, lower energy costs, and access to renewable energy.
  
  2.) Specifically targeting building connections between regions and offshore wind projects, crucial for a more flexible grid.
  
  3.) Fortifying the grid against disruptions, including those from climate change and extreme weather, by enabling better integration of renewable energy.
  
  Reducing Energy Costs by lowering grid congestion to allow cheaper electricity to flow more efficiently, which is intended to reduce monthly electric bills for consumers.
  
  And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Sen. Peter Welch (VT) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.