Chair Castor Applauds Biden Administration's “Building a Better Grid” Initiative

WASHINGTON - Chair Kathy Castor of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released the following statement on Wednesday after the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the “Building a Better Grid” Initiative:

“Clean air, clean water, and clean energy are fundamental to the health and well-being of every American. Today’s launch of the Building a Better Grid Initiative takes important steps to upgrade and expand the electric grid so that more Americans can benefit from affordable and abundant clean energy. I applaud Secretary Granholm for her leadership on this critical strategy to solve the climate crisis, improve public health and create high-quality jobs in America. I am determined to help communities lower costs with the transition to a resilient and clean energy economy and I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to ensure that the critical transmission investments in the Build Back Better Act reach President Biden’s desk, so he can sign them into law,” said Chair Castor.

Building a Better Grid will work with community and industry stakeholders to identify national transmission needs and support the buildout of long-distance, high voltage transmission facilities that are critical to reaching President Biden’s goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035 and a zero emissions economy by 2050. This program will make the U.S. power grid more resilient to the impacts of climate change, increase access to affordable and reliable clean energy, and create good-paying American jobs across industry sectors – boosting transmission jobs which employ over one million workers across the country. This initiative makes progress on priorities outlined in the Select Committee's Climate Crisis Action Plan, including recommendations to upgrade and expand electric transmission infrastructure to tap new renewable energy sources, develop a long-term electric infrastructure strategy, and build toward a National Supergrid.

More information is available on the DOE website here.
 

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Background:

• In June of 2020, the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Democrats released the majority staff report Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America. This report provides a roadmap for Congress—a Climate Crisis Action Plan—to build a prosperous, clean energy economy that values workers, advances environmental justice, and is prepared to meet the challenges of the climate crisis.
• House Democrats have already passed more than 375 of the recommendations in the Climate Crisis Action Plan, and have successfully worked to turn over 200 of them into law.