Washington D.C. – April 20, 2016
The need to upgrade and strengthen our Nation’s electric infrastructure has never been more imperative. The electric grid plays a critical role in all aspects of our daily lives, yet this infrastructure has not changed much in nearly 100 years. We face a critical and pressing need to bring our electric system into the twenty-first century to meet the changing demands of our digital economy.
The Energy Policy Modernization Act will help modernize our electric infrastructure, and move the grid from the twentieth to the twenty-first century. “The Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016 will play a key role in facilitating the transformation to the future electric grid,” said Scott Prochazka, President and CEO of CenterPoint Energy and Board Chairman of the GridWise Alliance. “This bill also will drive increased security and reliability of the entire electric system.”
This bill will provide states the tools and assistance they will need as the electric system evolves to help them develop associated policy and regulatory changes. This bill also will help empower consumers to better manage their energy usage.
“The GridWise Alliance is pleased the Senate has passed this important legislation. This bill contains key provisions that will modernize our grid; enhancing reliability, resilience, and security. We applaud Chairwoman Murkowski and Ranking Member Cantwell for their steadfast leadership in fashioning the first major piece of energy legislation to pass the Senate in nearly a decade. We urge Congress to move this legislation through the conference process expeditiously, so it can be enacted into law,” stated Steve Hauser, President and CEO of the GridWise Alliance.
The GridWise Alliance looks forward to working with all Members to continue to help advance this important legislation during the next stage of the legislative process.
About The GridWise Alliance:
The GridWise Alliance (GWA) represents the broad and diverse stakeholders that design, build and operate the electric grid, including electric utilities, information and communications technology equipment and service providers, national laboratories, academic institutions, Regional Transmission Operators (RTOs) and Independent System Operators (ISOs), and more. 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.