Statement From Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE):

“We commend Sen. Whitehouse and Rep. Quigley for introducing the SITE Act, which directly takes on the need to expand the nation’s transmission infrastructure to address the climate crisis. Studies show that to achieve the potential of the Inflation Reduction Act and meet our greenhouse emission targets, we need to more than double the historical rate of siting new transmission. An expanded transmission system would also enhance the reliability of our grid, reducing dangerous electricity outages during increasingly frequent severe weather events, and provide greater access to inexpensive renewable resources that lower costs for electricity consumers. Sadly, it is today difficult, time-consuming, and nearly impossible to site, permit, and construct transmission, with many interregional lines taking well over a decade to complete.

“The SITE Act addresses this problem head-on by establishing new federal siting authority at FERC for the critical high-voltage, interstate lines needed to transfer electricity between regions. This bill is an important step in creating the nationwide Macro Grid we need to meet the climate challenge. We urge Congress to pass this legislation at the first opportunity.”

ACORE | www.acore.org