WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Rep. Scott Peters (CA-52) issued the following statement in response to a staggering new analysis released by Princeton University’s Rapid Energy Policy Evaluation and Analysis Toolkit (REPEAT). The study concluded that if we fail to build clean energy transmission at a faster pace, over 80% of the potential emissions reductions produced by the Inflation Reduction Act will not occur. Additionally, without more transmission, increasing electricity demand could result in 110 million more tons of coal consumption in 2030 compared to a scenario without the Inflation Reduction Act.

“We are running out of time. The analysis released by Princeton University today further underscores that the country cannot meet our ambitious and urgent climate goals without reforms that speed the build out of clean energy transmission. And if we can’t meet our goals, we can’t expect the rest of the world to meet its goals,” said Rep. Peters. “The process requirements developed in the 1970s – pre- desktop computer, pre-internet and pre-GPS - must be updated. We can’t say climate change is a crisis and pick and choose which roadblocks to building a clean energy economy we want to address. We need to address them all.”

Rep. Peters has been a strong proponent of reforming our outdated regulatory process for permitting and siting interstate transmission. Last year, he introduced the POWER ON Act to clarify the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) ability to backstop states’ siting authority while establishing a more inclusive process with the states, tribes, and property owners. That bill was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last year.

“The REPEAT project’s analysis shows that we need to go further and comprehensively reform our permitting processes for interstate transmission. Congress should pass these reforms as soon as possible.”