Fedorchak statement on Department of Energy grid reliability report

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) issued the following statement after the Department of Energy released a new report warning of significant reliability risks to the nation’s electric grid. The report estimates that annual outage hours could rise from single digits today to over 800 hours per year and blackouts could surge 100 percent by 2030:  

“The Department of Energy’s report is extremely troubling, but not surprising. It confirms what grid operators have been saying for years: America is retiring too much dispatchable, baseload generation plants that can ramp up or down to meet demand—without having adequate replacements that can do the same job.  

“Meanwhile, electricity demand is surging fast—driven by AI, data centers, and manufacturing. That’s a recipe for blackouts, skyrocketing prices, and weakened national security. 

“The most obvious, commonsense solution is to stop taking reliable generators offline before we have adequate replacements. That’s why I introduced the Baseload Reliability Protection Act to prohibit the premature retirement of critical, dispatchable baseload generators in areas already at risk of blackouts, and to give DOE, FERC, and grid operators the tools they need to preserve our grid. 

“I commend the Trump administration for its focus on grid security and look forward to continue working together to achieve American energy dominance.”     

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Baseload Reliability Protection Act.  

CLICK HERE to read the full Department of Energy report.  

###