WASHINGTON – The following is a statement by Paul Cicio, Chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition (ETCC), in response to a new, misleading report being touted by incumbent monopoly utilities, which makes false claims about the transmission competition and – by its own admission – uses data with limited transparency.

“The misleading report by seven utility monopolies fails to prove its claim that transmission competition does not work. The report conveniently omits the fact that transmission competition has evolved such that today’s competitively bid projects have strict cost containment provisions. In fact, the case for competition has never been stronger,” said Paul Cicio, Chair of the ETCC.  

“The entire U.S. economy operates on the basis of competition. Competition has a proven track record. It is bad enough that incumbent monopoly utilities are raising electricity rates on American consumers, accelerating inflation, and now they are ignoring facts and publishing misleading information to influence regulations in ways that would further tip the scales in their favor.”

The ETCC, a coalition of more than 70 companies, has called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to preserve Order 1000, promote transmission competition, and fulfill its mandate to provide affordable and reliable energy to households and businesses.

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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 70 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