Electric institute urges up-or-down Senate vote on bipartisan-backed energy bill

November 28, 2003—The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) reaffirmed on November 21 its vigorous support for comprehensive national energy legislation and, despite the outcome of that day’s cloture vote in the Senate, voiced optimism that the bill ultimately will be enacted into law.

Calling Friday’s vote a “temporary setback,” EEI President Tom Kuhn praised Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Senate Energy Committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) for their strong commitment to continue pursuing enactment of H.R. 6, the broad energy bill that has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. He expressed confidence that with an appropriate vote in the Senate, Americans can ultimately realize the benefits of “the first overhaul of US energy policies in over a decade.”

Noting that a recent national poll showed that 87 percent of Americans favor a comprehensive energy bill, Kuhn said enactment of the energy blueprint is needed to reinforce electric reliability, foster more efficient, competitive electric power markets, promote fuel diversity, and expand US energy supplies and production, while also stressing efficiency and wise use of existing resources.

Kuhn also noted that a failure to enact H.R. 6 would mean blocking provisions designed to reinforce the reliability of America’s power grids. The legislation includes provisions to create a national electric reliability organization to develop and enforce mandatory system reliability rules and standards binding on all market participants, as well as important provisions designed to spur investment in upgrading and expanding US transmission facilities.

Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is the association of US investor-owned electric utilities and industry affiliates and associates worldwide. Its domestic members reportedly generate approximately three-quarters of all the electricity generated by electric utilities in the country and serve about 70 percent of all ultimate customers in the nation.