The nation’s power grid operators warned Congress on Tuesday that the U.S. must put the security of electricity supplies ahead of the political battles that pit fossil fuels against clean energy — or face the high risk of energy shortages and surging prices.
Executives of the seven U.S. wholesale power markets that manage electricity flows in two-thirds of the country sought to hammer through the partisan divide on energy during an hourslong hearing before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.
“Our industry is at an inflection point as it experiences a rate of change I have not previously seen in my 32-plus-year career,” said Lanny Nickell, chief operating officer of the Southwest Power Pool.
Electricity demand from data centers, crypto mining, advanced manufacturing, electric cars and building electrification may vary widely. But the grid leaders said the eruption in demand for more power is a reality.
