WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the co-founder and co-chair of the Electrification Caucus, is welcoming the White House’s May 28 announcement of a Federal-State Initiative to Bolster America’s Power Grid to accelerate improvements to the electric transmission and distribution network, which are critical to meeting the country’s needs for affordable, clean, reliable, and resilient power.
“A strong electric grid and reliable access to power are critical for every aspect of our lives. But right now, our power grid is stuck in the last century — leaving New Mexicans vulnerable to higher energy bills and power outages during extreme weather events,” Heinrich explained.
He went on to praise the Biden administration for its work on improving the nation’s power sources.
“This action by the Biden Administration is an important step to modernizing our aging grid infrastructure, helping to keep the lights, air conditioning, and internet on during heat waves and creating quality jobs,” Heinrich said. “As investments from our Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Law are coming online, I’m focused on ensuring Congress passes my legislation to build more transmission lines, ensure electric reliability and resilience, and meet our nation’s full potential as a global leader in the clean energy transition. That’s how we are maximizing this once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock American innovation and ignite a manufacturing renaissance right here in New Mexico.”
Heinrich has long led efforts to improve and expand the capacity of the nation’s transmission infrastructure, which is urgently needed for reliability, affordability, and clean electricity. He recently welcomed the announcement that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission heeded his calls to finalize a strong transmission planning and cost allocation rule.
In this Congress, Heinrich is leading major legislation to strengthen electric reliability by improving the way that we permit, plan, and pay for transmission infrastructure — dubbing these bills as the “three Ps of transmission.”
In April, Heinrich welcomed U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to New Mexico to highlight how investments from recent landmark legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act are creating a clean energy manufacturing renaissance in communities like Albuquerque and Belen, New Mexico.
The new federal-state initiative announced on May 28 brings together commitments from 21 leading states, including New Mexico, to meet the shared challenges and opportunities of increased load growth, a rapidly changing energy landscape, aging infrastructure, and new grid-enhancing technologies – while delivering reliable, clean, and affordable energy to consumers.
By Sen. Martin Heinrich
