Paul Tonko: “Just on the grid thing, I would like to make a comment because sometimes it's like we're challenged so that we can walk…”

“Just on the grid thing, I would like to make a comment because sometimes it's like we're challenged so that we can walk away from the challenge of the moment, and it's not the best thing for us. In 2003, this Nation witnessed the blackout from Ohio right through southern Canada into the great Northeast, New England, New York and some of the eastern sea coast, all driven by failure in the grid system. Now, never in that year that elapsed was there much discussion about public policy, and that was a Presidential year that befell the Nation. And it just does not get talked up. Now, finally, historic amounts of investment through the Recovery Act were made in the grid system and challenging us to step it up, do what's required to use state-of-the- art opportunities for smart grid, smart thermostats, and smart meters enabling people to have more control, more destiny over their energy usage and over their energy bills, making certain that, again, we pour ourselves into an investment of a unique type, a historic investment that enables us to go forward with the sorts of responses that we need. We need the arteries and veins: the transmission and distribution system to wheel the electrons to the workplace and the home place as it's required. And in New York, again, in our bordering of Canada, if we want to import hydropower from another nation and wheeling now, we've moved well beyond the monopoly setting where you had regional situations.…”