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

Under Dingell Questioning FERC Chairman
at Committee Hearing Confirms Support for
Stand Alone Electricity Reliability Legislation

Washington, D.C. - After the Senate last week voted twice against proceeding on the comprehensive energy bill, the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) during a Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality hearing today confirmed his support for moving stand alone electricity reliability legislation.

In January, FERC Chairman Pat Wood said he would prefer passage of the energy bill as it stands, but would support the option, proposed by Committee on Energy and Commerce Ranking Member John D. Dingell, to detach the electricity reliability portion from the rest of the bill and pass it separately. When questioned by Dingell at today's hearing, he confirmed that he still holds that position today.

Wood also said he agreed with the U.S.-Canada Power Outage Task Force's recommendation that calls for Congress to enact reliability provisions such as those contained in the legislation sponsored by Dingell. Wood confirmed that the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) does not have the power it needs to enforce reliability rules. After further questioning Wood also said he was not comfortable with NERC's present ability to enforce the rules.

"The action in the Senate last week is further evidence that the comprehensive energy bill is going nowhere," said Dingell. "The time to enact electricity reliability legislation is now, not after we have another blackout."

A day after the massive blackout last August, Dingell called on Congress to quickly enact electricity reliability legislation based upon consensus bipartisan provisions in the controversial energy bill now tied up in the Senate. A few weeks later, Dingell and 35 colleagues introduced H.R. 3004, the "Electric Reliability Improvement Act of 2003." These provisions would make transmission grid rules mandatory and enforceable. House and Senate Republican leaders, however, have refused to allow separate consideration of electricity reliability legislation, despite repeated requests.

- 30 -