Springfield Standard

Congressman Eric Burlison has introduced the Reliable Grid Act of 2024, aiming to protect the electric grid from regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that could impact its operation. The proposed legislation would prevent the EPA Administrator from enforcing rules that restrict power plant operations unless the security and reliability of the electric grid are assured.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation's (NERC) 2023 Long-Term Reliability Assessment indicates that much of the United States' electric grid is at an elevated or high risk of disruptions. The Reliable Grid Act seeks to ensure that new EPA regulations affecting electric generating units are not enforced unless all areas served by the power system are assessed as "Normal Risk" in NERC's report.

Rep. Burlison expressed concerns about existing EPA regulations, stating, "For decades, the EPA has implemented regulations that place unnecessary burdens on the energy sector and strain the United States’ electric grid." He added, "It is completely unacceptable that a large portion of the United States’ electric grid is either at an elevated or high risk of power disruptions and outages."

Alex Epstein, president of the Center for Industrial Progress, supports this legislative move. He remarked on America's worsening grid crisis due to policies reducing reliable power supply while increasing demand through mandates for electrification. Epstein stated, "I have said for years that the most obvious and urgent step is to pause all new grid-threatening activity by the EPA—the leading force shutting down reliable power plants—until the grid crisis is resolved."

Epstein further commented on Rep. Burlison's bill: "Thankfully, Rep. Eric Burlison has offered a bill, the Reliable Grid Act, that does exactly that." He hopes Congress will prioritize this act to address what he sees as critical issues with current electricity supply strategies.