'I Assure You It Is Real': Scott Perry Confronts Jennifer Granholm Over Concerning Letter

4 months ago

At today's House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) questioned Energy Sec. Jennifer Granholm about a letter relating to changes to a deactivation of a power unit.

Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript

Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com

Transcript

00:00 And I yield back.

00:01 The gentleman yields back.

00:02 Chair now recognizes Mr. Perry from Pennsylvania.

00:05 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

00:06 Secretary, I appreciate you being here answering questions for us.

00:10 I've got a letter here from the PJM regarding the Brandon Shores Power Facility in Anne

00:17 Arundel County.

00:19 And I'm just going to read from it.

00:20 According to the PJM Interconnection spokesman, the PJM region and the state of Maryland are

00:26 facing future reliability challenges as a result of the announced retirement of Brandon

00:30 Shores units.

00:31 Specifically, PJM analysis showed that the deactivation of the Brandon Shores unit would

00:37 cause severe voltage drop and thermal violations across seven PJM zones, which would lead to

00:44 widespread reliability risk in Baltimore and the immediate surrounding area.

00:48 So let me make that plain for everybody.

00:51 Brandon Shores, owned by Talon Energy, has entered into an agreement with the Sierra

00:56 Club to not produce power.

01:00 And so the PJM, which operates in multiple states and schedules the power from various

01:07 facilities, is asking that that agreement be held in abeyance until a reliable source

01:17 can be built.

01:20 But they're not going to do that.

01:21 The only thing that's going to save Baltimore from blacking out, from going without power,

01:28 right, is an emergency designation from the Secretary and the Department of Energy.

01:36 There's not enough time, even if we wanted to build it.

01:39 And we don't.

01:40 And let me be clear here.

01:41 The alternative is that Pennsylvania, where I live, provides the power and our land is

01:49 taken by eminent domain to send the power to Baltimore, who has a perfectly functioning

01:55 power plant right now in Anne Arundel County.

01:58 But because of the agreement, they're going to shut it down.

02:01 So my two questions to start with for this are, is the Department of Energy in support

02:06 of these type of agreements between the Sierra Club like this, between the Sierra Club and

02:11 Talon Energy to shut down plants, number one?

02:14 And number two, are you committed to the emergency declaration that's going to be required when

02:20 the plant shuts down for over a million customers to have power and live in the 21st century?

02:25 Well, I'm not familiar with that agreement.

02:27 I'd have to take a look at it.

02:29 We certainly want to make sure that power stays on and that we add additional power

02:34 to make sure that there's enough for people.

02:36 So that's why we're working so hard to ensure that we are deploying energy solutions.

02:40 OK, well, ma'am, I have the letter.

02:41 I assure you it is real.

02:43 And it is dated December 5th of 2023.

02:47 So it's not new.

02:48 It's not a new concept.

02:50 This is coming.

02:52 And so assuming let's just do it this way.

02:54 I don't want to assume on your behalf, but assuming this is valid, you can see the logo

02:59 up there will have it entered into the record.

03:00 I'll stake my reputation on what the PJM has offered.

03:04 Assuming that that is correct, are you willing to commit to an emergency declaration so that

03:10 the lights and the power can stay on for a million customers?

03:14 It's going to require the Department of Energy.

03:16 Yeah, we're always willing to exercise emergency authority if lights are going out.

03:22 Is it do you think it's fair that the people of Pennsylvania have to watch their land chewed

03:27 up to send power to Baltimore when they've got a perfectly well operating facility?

03:33 Is that fair that we do that?

03:35 And the facility can be transitioned.

03:37 It's coal now.

03:38 I know everybody hates coal.

03:39 I do not.

03:40 But a lot of people do.

03:42 I'm sure there are scrubbers on the plant and the and the requirements just keep on

03:46 increasing such that the plant can no longer remain viable economically under the conditions

03:52 that the federal government has set.

03:55 But is it fair that Pennsylvania then has to provide the power and the transmission

04:00 across its land for Baltimore?

04:02 I think there are other solutions, though.

04:03 I think that the I think there are two.

04:05 And I hope we can pursue them.

04:07 I hope we can pursue them.

04:08 I appreciate that, Madam Secretary.

04:11 In the little bit of time I have left, Representative Biggs talked about the loss of money to the

04:19 car companies.

04:20 Ford is delaying introduction of its all new electric SUV.

04:25 It lost one hundred and thirty thousand on every EV.

04:28 The division will lose five point five billion in twenty twenty four.

04:32 Tesla saw an eight point five percent decline in deliveries.

04:35 GM lost one point seven billion in Q4 of twenty twenty three.

04:41 This is all happening at taxpayer expense.

04:44 The increase in EV usage and sales is wholly by the federal government.

04:49 Right.

04:50 It's not because the private sector private sector is actually declining.

04:53 And so with that, while you're here as a current cabinet secretary, would you commit to saying

05:00 on the record that you will not support a bailout of the car companies once we bankrupt

05:05 them, once these policy bank policy?

05:08 That's where we're headed, ma'am.

05:09 We've already done this before.

05:10 It cost us eighty one billion in twenty fourteen.

05:13 What will you commit to today regarding the car companies are going to go bankrupt based

05:17 on these requirements from the federal car companies?

05:19 Do not say they are going bankrupt when they do.

05:22 They are.

05:23 They are excited about the trajectory of electric.

05:26 They don't seem excited to me from.

05:29 They are continuing with their plans.

05:31 They may have slowed them a little, but they are continuing with their plans because they're

05:34 forced to by the federal government because there's a 30 percent increase year over year

05:37 in demand for electric fuel only by the federal government, ma'am, by individuals out there

05:42 who want to save money as they drive.

05:44 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

05:45 And gentlemen, time's expired before I recognize Miss Bush.

05:49 Did you have something, gentlemen, you were wanting to enter into the record?

05:53 Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

05:54 I'd like to enter this order from the PJM to a must produce power to Brandon Shores

05:59 and Allen Energy without objection to order.

06:01 Chair recognizes Ms. Bush from Missouri. Thank you Mr. Chairman.

'I Assure You It Is Real': Scott Perry Confronts Jennifer Granholm Over Concerning Letter

Category

Transcript

Recommended