Fedorchak meets with nation’s top grid operators to tackle energy challenges

Washington, D.C. - This week, Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) met with energy leaders from across the country to discuss the urgent challenges facing America's power grid and the need for more reliable, affordable energy to meet rising demand.

"Our electric grid is at a crossroads, and I appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from the leaders who manage these systems every day," Fedorchak said. "As I emphasized yesterday in the Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, without their strong leadership, the lights would go out, businesses would grind to a halt, and our economy would stall."

In a series of meetings, Fedorchak spoke with Manu Asthana (PJM), Gordon van Welie (ISO New England), Jennifer Curran (Midcontinent ISO), Lanny Nickell (Southwest Power Pool), Elliot Mainzer (California ISO), and Pablo Vegas (ERCOT).

Mr. Asthana emphasized the risks of prematurely retiring load-serving coal, oil, and gas generators, warning of the strain it places on grid reliability. Mr. Welie highlighted New England's lack of pipeline capacity for natural gas, which forces the region to rely on costly imports from overseas. Ms. Curran and Mr. Nickell, whose transmission regions share multiple state borders, discussed the need to revise accreditation and interconnection rules to better prioritize reliability. Mr. Mainzer emphasized the unique structure of the markets in the West and the value of shared transmission and bipartisan solutions. Mr. Vegas outlined ERCOT's unique "connect and manage" interconnection strategy, which allows generators to join the grid with minimal upfront transmission upgrades-using market signals and operational tools to manage congestion rather than requiring all infrastructure improvements in advance.

The meetings centered around the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy's hearing, Keeping the Lights On: Examining the State of Regional Grid Reliability, where Fedorchak pressed for solutions that bolster American energy security and power the future of AI.

"North Dakotans understand that a reliable, affordable energy supply is essential-whether it's keeping the lights on for families, powering farms, or supporting economic growth. These conversations reinforced the need for policies that encourage investment in baseload generation, eliminate unnecessary regulations, and stop Washington from making it harder to deliver power to the people who need it," Fedorchak concluded.

CLICK HEREto watch Fedorchak's full questioning.

CLICK HEREfor photos.

The hearing witnesses were:

• Gordon van Welie, President & Chief Executive Officer, ISO New England (ISO-NE)

• Biography

• Witness Testimony
  

• Richard J. Dewey, President & Chief Executive Officer, New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)

• Biography

• Witness Testimony
  

• Manu Asthana, President & Chief Executive Officer, PJM Interconnection, LLC

• Biography

• Witness Testimony
  

• Jennifer Curran, Senior Vice President for Planning and Operations, Midcontinent ISO (MISO)

• Biography

• Witness Testimony
  

• Lanny Nickell, Chief Operating Officer, Southwest Power Pool

• Biography

• Witness Testimony
  

• Elliot Mainzer, President & Chief Executive Officer, California Independent System Operator (CAISO)

• Biography

• Witness Testimony
  

• Pablo Vegas, President & Chief Executive Officer, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc., (ERCOT)

• Biography

• Witness Testimony

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