Heinrich Calls for Building a Robust 21st Century Energy Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 28, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) – During a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) called for building a robust 21st century energy infrastructure, which is critical to realizing our nation’s true clean energy potential and creating jobs in New Mexico. The committee heard testimony from Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz on the agency’s release of the first installment of the Quadrennial Energy Review.
Senator Heinrich discussed electric energy-storage technologies with Secretary Moniz, as well as ensuring state regulators have the tools and resources they need to adequately quantify the benefits of distributed generation to the grid. He also proposed working with National Laboratories to assist states in properly assessing the benefits.
The Quadrennial Energy Review was called for by President Obama as an administration-wide effort to make recommendations regarding key infrastructure needed for transmission, storage, and distribution of energy. The Department of Energy released the first of its installments, focusing on energy transmission, storage, and distribution of America’s energy systems.
On August 11, 2014, Senator Heinrich participated in a public meeting in Santa Fe with Secretary Moniz and Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell where they received stakeholder input to the Quadrennial Energy Review. The meeting, hosted by the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis, examined state, local, and tribal energy issues.
Senator Heinrich, a leader on modernizing the nation’s energy infrastructure, introduced a bill last week, S. 1017, to amend the Federal Power Act to provide the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) narrow authority to approve and site new priority electric transmission lines.
The archived webcast of today’s full committee hearing is available, here.
