West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey is calling on federal officials to establish a Strategic Electricity Reserve to protect our nation’s energy grid. McCuskey sent a letter on behalf of 15 attorneys general to the Department of Energy and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, outlining the need for a reserve.
“Because of increased energy demand and years of failed policies, the nation’s energy grid is headed towards a reliability crisis. A Strategic Electricity Reserve could prevent it,” McCuskey said. “Thankfully, the Trump Administration recognizes the crisis and has declared both a National Energy Emergency and issued an Executive Order to strengthen the Nation’s grid. The reserve will provide a layer of security that is needed now more than ever.”
The coalition of attorneys general is asking the administration to create the Strategic Electricity Reserve to actively safeguard the nation’s energy grid by creating a reserve of electricity off-market, to be used in cases of power shortages or emergencies. A similar proposal was considered during the first Trump Administration, and the need has only increased since then.
“[The Strategic Electricity Reserve] is necessary to protect the health of our power grid, service the explosive demand from new industries, and provide our renewable energy sources with operational security. Luckily, power plants—both operational and retired—offer valuable infrastructure that can be repurposed. And local communities are well positioned—with some downright eager—to support reinvestments,” the letter states.
The coalition of attorneys general from Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming have joined West Virginia and stand ready to help the administration implement the nationwide reserve.
You can read the full letter here.