Washington D.C. – July 14, 2017
The GridWise Alliance commends Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairwoman Murkowski and Ranking Member Cantwell for having released S. 1460, the “Energy and Natural Resources Act of 2017” and applauds their continued leadership to modernize our Nation’s electricity infrastructure.
The electric grid plays a critical role in all aspects of our daily lives. Our electric system is undergoing a rapid transformation, with digital technologies changing the way businesses and individuals manage their electricity usage; new resources, such as storage, becoming increasingly available and affordable; and, the transportation sector facing a growth in electrification. We must maintain the reliability, resilience, and security of our Nation’s
electricity infrastructure, while the system undergoes these substantial changes.
The “Energy and Natural Resources Act of 2017” provides a comprehensive approach to meet our critical twenty-first century electricity infrastructure needs. It builds on the “Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015,” which included a number of important provisions to modernize the Nation’s electricity infrastructure and had broad, bipartisan support.
“This legislation will play a key role in facilitating the changes needed to integrate a range of distributed energy resources, including storage, microgrids, and electric vehicles, into the grid. It provides critical policies to increase security and reliability of the entire electric system,” said Steve Hauser, CEO of the GridWise Alliance. The bill will also empower consumers to better manage their energy usage and help drive improved workforce training for the increasingly technical and complex jobs in this field.
“This legislation will provide states the tools and assistance they will need, as they undertake policy and regulatory changes to keep pace with the transformation of our electricity system,” said Ladeene Freimuth, Policy Director of the GridWise Alliance.
The GridWise Alliance looks forward to working with all Members to continue to help advance these important goals and urges the swift passage of this legislation.
About GridWise Alliance:
The GridWise Alliance (GWA) represents the broad and diverse stakeholders that design, build and operate the electric grid. Since 2003, the Alliance has been at the forefront of educating legislators and regulators about the critical need to modernize our nation’s electricity system.