Alaska Native Energy Assistance Program Act

The IBEW urged Congress to support language found in Section 4302 of the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 that would help address grid reliability in deregulated electricity markets. Competitive market conditions, cumulative environmental regulations, and capacity market rules that disadvantage baseload power generation has made the grid more dependent on less reliable resources. Under these conditions, it has been difficult for baseload generation to clear capacity market auctions thus placing grid reliability at risk. Section 4302 is an attempt to fix this problem. The IBEW lobbied Congress in support of the Hydropower Improvement Act of 2015 (S. 1235), legislation to reform the relicensing and regulation of hydroelectric generation. As the United States moves toward a lower-carbon future, it has become clear hydropower has become burdened with excessive, time-consuming, and costly regulation. To help address these issues S. 1236 would improve administrative efficiency, reduce duplicative oversight, and promote timely decision-making in the hydropower relicensing process. The IBEW urged Congress to oppose the Assuring Private Property Rights Over Vast Access to Lands (APPROVAL) Act (S. 485 and H.R. 3062), legislation to stop construction of much needed infrastructure in the United States. By intent, the legislation targets one project, the Plains and Eastern Clean Line, a high-voltage direct current transmission line proposed to run from the Oklahoma Panhandle 700 miles to western Tennessee. As written however, the legislation would curtail transmission siting authority across the United States.