28 Members of Congress Support Increasing Transmission Funding in FY23 Budget

On April 29th, 28 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Chairwoman Kaptur and Ranking Member Simpson urging the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee to provide robust funding for investments in transmission and grid infrastructure in the Fiscal Year 2023 Bill.

In the letter, the members stated their support for the transmission provisions included in the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which allowed the federal government to invest $2.5 billion in direct spending for new transmission projects. However, it also acknowledges that this funding is inadequate for achieving the deep decarbonization of our economy needed to meet our climate goals.

Additional federal investments for new interregional transmission infrastructure would adapt the grid to withstand the effects of climate change, lower electricity costs for consumers, and provide greater access to clean and reliable electricity.

“The expansion and modernization of our national power grid is central to meeting our urgent climate and energy security goals” – Congressman Peters (D, CA-52)

“Increased investment in transmission and grid infrastructure upgrades is essential to achieve a net zero economy. I thank the Subcommittee for its leadership in growing these important programs, and urge the subcommittee to provide more sustained funding to ensure we can deliver cleaner, cheaper energy to all Americans.” – Congressman Casten (D, IL-6)

The letter encourages the Subcommittee to consider the following:

• Additional Funding for Deployment of Technologies to Enhance Grid Flexibility
• Funding for Title XVII—Loan Guarantee
• Moonshot for Converter Stations
• National studies on the benefits of establishing an energy conservation standard for overhead electricity conductors

To read the full letter and list of signatories, click here