Central ND News

During a session held by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issues concerning American AI leadership were brought to the forefront. Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) expressed significant worries about the capacity of the United States' power grid to meet increasing demand. The hearing focused on the implications of prematurely retiring dependable energy resources, the actual expenses involved in integrating wind and solar energy, and the necessity for market indicators that correspond to real-world reliability needs.

The congresswoman underscored the importance of implementing intelligent, balanced federal policies. She believes these policies are essential to meeting the rising energy demands of new industries like artificial intelligence without compromising reliability or affordability.

In her speech, Rep. Fedorchak warned about the increasing disparity between energy supply and demand in the nation. She questioned whether the United States should reconsider its approach of retiring existing power generation sources that are still effective. She highlighted, "Every panelist agreed we need every available megawatt."

Rep. Fedorchak engaged David Turk, formerly the Deputy Secretary of Energy under the Biden administration, on his assertion that wind and solar are the most economical resources added to the grid. She challenged the exclusion of costs related to transmission and the need for additional generation to support renewables, which are ultimately borne by customers.

She further questioned the witnesses on the appropriateness of the federal government continuing to provide significant tax credits for non-dispatchable power sources, particularly wind and solar power. Highlighting the recent testimony from grid operators, she emphasized the urgent need for dispatchable, reliable energy sources. Rep. Fedorchak noted, "While some witnesses pointed to the potential of long-term investments and storage technology, she emphasized the importance of aligning federal policy with today’s urgent need for reliable, always-available electricity."

The witnesses providing testimony included Dr. Eric Schmidt, Chair of the Special Competitive Studies Project; Manish Bhatia, Executive Vice President of Global Operations at Micron Technology; Alexandr Wang, Founder and CEO of Scale AI; and The Honorable David Turk, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University. They all offered insights into the challenges and opportunities within the current energy framework.