Central ND News

This week, Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak from North Dakota met with key energy leaders in Washington, D.C., to address urgent issues facing the U.S. power grid. The discussions focused on ensuring reliable and affordable energy amidst increasing demand.

"Our electric grid is at a crossroads, and I appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from the leaders who manage these systems every day," Fedorchak stated. "As I emphasized yesterday in the Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, without their strong leadership, the lights would go out, businesses would grind to a halt, and our economy would stall."

Energy officials present included Manu Asthana from PJM, Gordon van Welie of ISO New England, Jennifer Curran of Midcontinent ISO, Lanny Nickell from Southwest Power Pool, Elliot Mainzer of California ISO, and Pablo Vegas of ERCOT. Each played a pivotal role in the discussions on grid reliability and management.

Mr. Asthana addressed the risks of retiring traditional energy sources like coal, oil, and gas too early, which could jeopardize grid reliability. Mr. Welie pointed out New England's dependency on costly overseas natural gas imports due to inadequate pipeline capacity. Ms. Curran and Mr. Nickell discussed revising rules on accreditation and interconnection to better stress reliability. Meanwhile, Mr. Mainzer focused on the market structures in the West, highlighting the benefits of bipartisan solutions. Mr. Vegas explained ERCOT’s "connect and manage" strategy, which integrates generators with fewer upfront transmission requirements and utilizes market signals to manage congestion.

The meetings coincided with discussions in the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy entitled "Keeping the Lights On: Examining the State of Regional Grid Reliability," with Fedorchak advocating for strengthening U.S. energy security and supporting future advancements in AI technology.

"North Dakotans understand that a reliable, affordable energy supply is essential—whether it’s keeping the lights on for families, powering farms, or supporting economic growth. These conversations reinforced the need for policies that encourage investment in baseload generation, eliminate unnecessary regulations, and stop Washington from making it harder to deliver power to the people who need it," Fedorchak concluded.

The hearing also included testimony from notable witnesses such as Richard J. Dewey, representing New York Independent System Operator, along with other energy sector leaders who provided insights relevant to ongoing national discussions on energy policy and grid management.