Cathy McMorris Rodgers - Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee | Official U.S. House headshot
Cathy McMorris Rodgers - Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Bob Latta, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered a statement at a hearing focused on addressing the increasing demand for reliable and affordable electricity. The hearing, titled "Scaling For Growth: Meeting The Demand For Reliable, Affordable Electricity," examined the current state of the nation's electric grid and potential future developments.
"Our nation’s electric grid, built over the course of almost 150 years, has been referred to as the most complex, sophisticated machine known to mankind," Latta remarked. He emphasized that while the grid efficiently delivers low-cost energy when functioning properly, rising electricity demand from AI models and domestic manufacturing presents challenges.
Latta noted that warnings have been issued about potential shortfalls in electricity supply even under normal weather conditions. He highlighted projected retirements of coal and thermal generation capacities by 2025 and 2030 respectively as significant concerns. "The stakes could not be higher," he stated.
He also pointed out global adversaries seeking to challenge U.S. leadership in developing AI technologies. "Nations like communist China... are seeking to develop world-leading AI models through an authoritarian, military lens," Latta said.
Discussing domestic issues, Latta criticized policies such as the Clean Power Plan 2.0 for accelerating retirements of baseload power sources and identified permitting barriers for new natural gas infrastructure as problematic.
Despite these challenges, Latta sees opportunities for job creation within this crisis. He expressed hope that discussions would shed light on how various entities address these dynamics while maintaining reliability and affordability in energy supply.
Representatives from PJM Regional Transmission Organization, Basin Electric Co-operative, and Southern Company were among those present to discuss regional challenges in meeting growing energy demands.
"This committee will play an integral role in laying the groundwork to unlock necessary capital investment for job-creating industries while ensuring affordable and reliable energy for American households and small businesses," Latta concluded before yielding back his time.
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