WASHINGTON – The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition welcomed the appointment of Commissioner Willie Phillips to the position of Acting Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

In a statement, Paul Cicio, Chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, said: “We look forward to working with Acting Chair Phillips on lowering electricity costs for consumers through transmission competition.”

“President Biden, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice have all endorsed competition; FERC should join the rest of the administration and back transmission competition, delivering affordable and reliable electricity for households and businesses.”

Competitively bid electricity transmission projects have been shown to reduce costs to consumers by up to 40 percent according to The Brattle Group.[1] The U.S. will need to spend $2.1 trillion on transmission to reach its net-zero goals by 2050 according to Princeton University meaning that electricity transmission competition could save as much as $840 billion for Americans.[2] The electric utility industry is opposed to competition and supports the FERC NOPR.

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About the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition

The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition (ETCC) is a broad-based, nation-wide coalition committed to increasing competition in America’s electricity transmission infrastructure. We advocate for common-sense policies and solutions that result in competitively priced transmission projects, which reduce energy costs for all ratepayers – from large manufacturers to residential consumers. The ETCC represents a diverse group of more than 86 companies and organizations from all 50 states, including manufacturing groups, retail electric consumers, state consumer advocates, public power representatives, think tanks, and non-incumbent transmission developers.

For more information, visit: www.electricitytransmissioncompetitioncoalition.org.

Press Contact:
Julian Graham
jgraham@signaldc.com

[1] Brattle Group: Cost Savings Offered by Competition in Electric Transmission, https://www.brattle.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/16726_cost_savings_offered_by_competition_in_electric_transmission.pdf

[2] NET-ZERO AMERICA: Potential Pathways, Infrastructure, and Impacts, Princeton University, https://netzeroamerica.princeton.edu/?explorer=year&state=national&table=2020&limit=200