Potential Repeat of Polar Vortex, Threat of Blackouts Underscore Need for Visionary Policy That Says #Yes2Energy

Press Release

The Polar Vortex last winter sent temperatures plummeting, breaking record lows across the country and forcing Americans to crank up the heat to stay warm. As the surging demand strained the aging infrastructure, energy prices soared further straining families and businesses. Despite the flaws in the delivery system that last year's harsh winter revealed, the administration continues its pursuit of new regulations for coal-fired power plants, which threaten to take more affordable energy offline. We should be embracing, not shunning, our nation's most abundant and reliable source of affordable electricity.

A recent analysis by PJM Interconnection, a regional grid operator, suggests that a repeat of last winter's deep freeze could lead to numerous electricity blackouts throughout the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic. The Washington Examiner reports, "PJM noted the situation could become more dire under a "rapid transition' from coal to natural gas."

Last winter, Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) sounded the alarm, stating, "The unusually cold weather we have experienced across the nation underscores the importance of affordable and reliable electricity. Under the Obama administration, electricity access is being jeopardized by a number of already finalized or pending measures raising its cost. This includes pending greenhouse gas regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency that will make it illegal to build a coal plant in America."

If last winter made one thing clear, it is that we desperately need a visionary new policy to ensure reliable access to affordable energy. A key to preventing blackouts and keeping electricity affordable is Pillar II of full committee Chairman Fred Upton's Architecture of Abundance: Maintaining Diverse Electricity Generation. IHS also released a report in July that echoed the important role America's fuel diversity plays in ensuring access to affordable and reliable electricity, and warned actions to limit generation sources could increase price volatility, drive up electricity rates, and threaten jobs and industrial competitiveness.

To learn more about Upton's plan to build the infrastructure needed to fulfill our energy potential and unleash the many benefits of America's energy abundance, visit: http://energycommerce.house.gov/yes2energy. To avoid potential blackouts, it is time to pursue policies that say #Yes2Energy.

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