September 21, 2020
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy:
On behalf of the GridWise Alliance (“GridWise”), I am writing to endorse H.R. 4447, the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. H.R. 4447 incorporates H.R. 5428, the Grid Modernization Research and Development Act, which is a bipartisan bill that expands Department of Energy (DOE) programs on modernizing the electricity grid. We urge the House to pass this important legislation, and applaud the work of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee in preparing it for final consideration.
GridWise uniquely serves the electricity industry by leveraging diverse stakeholder perspectives to articulate the numerous benefits of grid modernization. Our members include utilities, grid manufacturers, independent system operators, environmental organizations and other industry stakeholders. GridWise helps create a common understanding of the numerous and transformational operations-focused and policy-related changes taking place across the electricity industry. Our work ensures that emerging policy is aligned with industry best practice to facilitate effective and wide-spread change.
H.R. 4447 includes important DOE research, development and demonstration (RD&D) programs from H.R. 5428. For instance, the legislation establishes a smart grid regional demonstration initiative to support demonstration projects on “cost-effective, advanced technologies” related to grid modernization. The bill also directs DOE to establish RD&D program on technologies to improve grid resilience and emergency response. DOE, under the bill, will also establish a RD&D programs to advance the integration of electric vehicles and buildings, both commercial and residential, onto the grid. In addition, the bill ensures that DOE will receive essential industry perspectives by creating an advisory committee to counsel the Department on these RD&D programs. These provisions will further work to make the grid more resilient and reliable, integrate more renewables, and incorporate increased load demand from the integration of electric vehicles on the grid.
In addition, H.R. 4447 includes H.R. 5527, the 21st Century Power Grid Act, which the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced by voice-vote earlier this year. Under H.R. 5527, DOE will provide financial assistance to projects that deploy technologies that improve the performance of the electric distribution system and projects related to transmission system planning and operation.
H.R. 4447 also includes other important provisions related to cybersecurity, energy storage, renewables and transmission planning, among other areas.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Thank you for your time and efforts on these important issues.
Regards,
Steve Hauser
Chief Executive Officer
GridWise Alliance