Senior Advisor Susan Tierney Testifies Before US House Energy Subcommittee at Hearing for Energy Resiliency and Electric Transmission Bills
July 12, 2021
Analysis Group Senior Advisor Susan F. Tierney testified at an Energy Subcommittee hearing of the US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce on several bills regarding electric transmission facilities in the US. The bills included the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s Future Act (CLEAN Future Act). Calling the bills “extremely important and constructive,” Dr. Tierney drew on several reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine that align with the bills’ purposes.
The first part of Dr. Tierney’s testimony noted why expansion of the US electric grid is essential to the country’s transition to more sustainable energy sources. The second part of her testimony outlined ways the bills would address “persistent impediments” to the planning for, investment in, and siting of a robust transmission infrastructure. These challenges have included siting interstate projects aimed at reducing congestion and costs; connecting areas that have abundant renewable energy with regions that have high electricity demand; and ensuring that transmission enhancements occur where needed most. Dr. Tierney also noted that clearly written reasoning and instructions, as found in the CLEAN Future Act, would help regulators make and execute decisions in the public interest.