2024: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Prohibiting The Implementation Of An
FERC Order Regarding Regional Transmission Facilities. In July 2024,
Fitzpatrick voted against , according to Congressional Quarterly,
"amendment no. 54 that would prohibit the use of funds provided by the
bill to implement, administer or enforce a May 2024 Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission order related to long-term planning for regional
transmission facilities." The vote was on the amendment. The underlying
legislation was the FY 2025 Energy-Water appropriations. The House
rejected the amendment by a vote of 209 to 213. [House Vote 375,
7/23/24; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/23/24;
Congressional Actions,
H.Amdt.1115;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
8997]
- The Rule Required Transmission Providers To Complete And Regularly
Update Long-Term Planning For Facilities. According to the FERC,
"The grid rule adopts specific requirements for transmission
providers to conduct long-term planning for regional transmission
facilities and determine how to pay for them. It reflects tens of
thousands of pages of comments, filed over the course of the past
three years, from hundreds of stakeholders representing all sectors
of the electric power industry, advocacy groups and state and other
government entities. The rule requires transmission operators to
conduct and periodically update long-term transmission planning over
a 20-year time horizon to anticipate future needs. It also provides
for cost-effective expansion of transmission that is being replaced,
when needed, known as 'right-sizing' transmission facilities. And it
expressly provides for the states' pivotal role throughout the
process of planning, selecting, and determining how to pay for
transmission lines." [FERC,
5/13/24]