Jeff Bingaman: “The Mid-Atlantic Area Council-- MAAC is the acronym. We always like acronyms here in Washington-- would like to express…”

“The Mid-Atlantic Area Council-- MAAC is the acronym. We always like acronyms here in Washington-- would like to express its support for the reliability provisions in section 207 of your amendment in the nature of a substitute to S. 517. They are supporting the underlying bill, not the amendment by the Senator from Wyoming. MAAC appreciates your continued efforts to promote legislation that increases our energy supply and advances the effort to establish wholesale electricity markets in the United States. It is our understanding that the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) and the Western Governors' Association are seeking to strike your language in order to substitute an amendment they drafted. This amendment is based upon the now very stale NERC reliability proposal developed over three years ago. The subsequent convergence of reliability and market issues has rendered this language obsolete, and we urge you to oppose the amendment.”