6.1. ERMUSR 03-09-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

2010 APPA Legislative Rally Key Message I'oults Address Climate Change in a Workable Manner APPA supports congressional action to address the issue of climate change, but does not support the major leg- islation that has been considered by Congress to date (H. R. 2454 and S. 1733). Instead, APPA believes that, among other things, federal legislation must: be-econ- o:my wide and apply to all industry sectors: protect the U.S. economy and consumers; recognize regional dif- ferences; maintain electric reliability; protect national security; and avoid anover-reliance on arty single fuel for electricity production..~PPA also believes that any cap-and-trade .regime should, among other thngs:.in- clude adear preemption of the Clean Air.Act and other applicable federal laws; include a hard collar on the cost of allowances; provide a robust and workable offset p:rogranu; provide emissions allocations commen- surate with that sector's share of emissions (approxi- mately 40 percent to the elech•ic utility sector); and include achievable targets and timelines that allow for a :more gradual transition to slow-carbon economy so that the market produces the desired environmental benefits in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. Move Energy Policy Legislation Separately From Comprehensive Climate Change Legislation While APPA supports workable federal climate change legislation as described above as well as .new energy pol- icy legislation that would include a reasonable renew- able electricity standard (no more than 15 percent by 2020), we have long advocated that these major issues be addressed in separate legislation. Tying them to- getl~er; as was done in the House-passed energy and cli- mate bill, H.R. 2454, significantly increases the complexity and controversy of the legislation, as well as the potential for duplicative mandates, as we have seen, Moreover; due to the mare near-term economic and jabs benefits of energy policy legislation, there is cur- rently broader support in Congress for energy legisla- tion than for a climate bill. While that could change, given the :relatively limited time left in the 111th Con- gress, it would be imprudent to miss the opportunity for enactment of energy legislation that would itself re- sult in sigriificarlt reductions in greenhouse gas enris- sions among other benefits, simply because agreement cannot be reached on climate change legislation . . Ensure that any Legislation Addressing Cyber-Security Recognizes What the Electricity Sector Is Already Doing The stakeholders of the electric power industry, includ- ing public power systems, continue to wrnk closely and in partnership with governmental authorities at the federal, state/,provincial and local levels in both the United States and Canada in order to maintain and im- prove upon fhe high level of reliability consumers ex- pect. Cyber secw•ity is an important element of bulk power system reliability that the electric power industry takes very seriously. Every day, the electric power indus- try continuously monitors the bulk power system and mitigates the effects of transmission grid incidents - large and small. Consumers and gover~rment are rarely aware of these incidents because of the sector's advance planning and coordination activities which reflect the quick and often seamless response the sector takes to address reliability and security events. This response in- cludes prevention and response/recovery strategies- both are equally important. The industry's strong track record on reliability and security continues as we work diligently to adhere to mandatory reliability standards, which are approved by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), including standards that address Cyber security. Any additional federal legislation should build on this framework, not undermine or duplicate it. .APPA, therefore, supports legislation in the :House, H.R. 2165, that provides additional, targeted authority for FERC in the event of a Cyber emergency. APPA has strong concerns about the Cyber security title in the pending Senate energy bill, S. 1462. Ensure Reliable, Low-Cost Delivery of Coal By Creating a Competitive Railroad Industry Many coal-burning electric utilities receive coal ship- meats from only one rail carrier, and are thus consid- eyed captive to a railroad with monopoly power. Legislative remedies are necessary to enhance competi- tive rail transportation for these captive rail shippers. APPA supports legislation that encotu-ages structural www.APPMetorg