Central ND News

Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak and Senator Kevin Cramer are advocating for changes to federal energy tax credits to emphasize grid reliability and economic efficiency. In their communication to Republican leaders and committee chairs, the two former state utility regulators warned that current energy tax policies are skewed toward intermittent power sources like wind and solar, potentially destabilizing the electric grid.

"We understand state and regional power markets and strongly believe smart, targeted federal investments in our energy sector can be in the national interest," Fedorchak and Cramer wrote. "Regrettably, it continues to shower intermittent energy generators with incentives and resources without regard to its contribution to a rapidly degrading electrical grid."

They highlighted concerns based on a North American Electric Reliability Corporation report, which identified that numerous Regional Transmission Organizations face risks of resource inadequacy, especially the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which serves 45 million people.

The letter questioned whether recent tax credits improved grid reliability or resulted in higher consumer costs and operational complications. Fedorchak and Cramer seek the phase-out of specific tax credits, such as 45Y and 48E, advocating instead for incentives like carbon capture and existing nuclear power.

“Generators should be paid for their performance; not how good they make policymakers feel," they assert, expressing readiness to collaborate with other officials on an energy initiative.