NEWS RELEASE
Committee on Energy and Commerce Democrats
Congressman John D. Dingell, Ranking Member

U.S.-Canada Power Outage Task Force Reinforces Dingell's Call for Stand Alone Electricity
Reliability Legislation

Washington, D.C. - Today the U.S.-Canada Power Outage Task Force released its final report on what caused the most widespread blackout in U.S. history last August and how to prevent future power failures. The Task Force called for Congress to pass electricity reliability legislation such as those contained in legislation sponsored by Congressman John D. Dingell, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, terming it the "single most important step."

Dingell commented:

"This report underscores the need for Congress to immediately enact stand alone legislation to make electricity reliability rules mandatory and enforceable. Each day this legislation is not considered is another day consumers remain unnecessarily at risk of another blackout. There is no justification for continuing to hold reliability reform hostage to comprehensive energy legislation."

A day after the massive blackout, Dingell called on Congress to quickly enact electricity reliability legislation based upon consensus bipartisan provisions in the controversial energy bill tied up in conference. A few weeks later, Dingell and 34 colleagues introduced H.R. 3004, the "Electric Reliability Improvement Act of 2003." These provisions would make transmission grid rules mandatory and enforceable. However, House and Senate Republican leaders have refused to allow separate consideration of electricity reliability legislation.

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