Murkowski Comments on New Grid Resiliency Proposal
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today issued the following statement after Secretary of Energy Rick Perry submitted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) intended to protect the reliability and resiliency of the nation’s bulk power system.
“For years, I have been concerned about how federal laws and rules affect the reliability and resiliency of our nation’s electric grids. I respect Secretary Perry for taking an action that he believes is necessary. As the law provides, the Secretary’s transmittal of a proposed rule to FERC will spur action on a debate that has been underway since the start of this decade.
“Now the work will shift to FERC as Congress intended when it established the Department of Energy and the Commission 40 years ago. I look forward to seeing the record develop even further, and will be following the proceedings closely. This rulemaking is another reason why we need a full complement of commissioners at FERC, including both Kevin McIntyre and Rich Glick, whose nominations have been favorably reported by the Energy Committee and await consideration by the full Senate.”
Murkowski is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. She has called attention to the importance of grid reliability for years, and included provisions to protect and strengthen the nation’s grid system in her bipartisan energy and natural resources bill that is now pending on the Senate calendar.
