Randy Weber: “the things that make America great are the things that America makes. How do we do that? We have an electric grid, Mr.…”

“the things that make America great are the things that America makes. How do we do that? We have an electric grid, Mr. Chair, and that electric grid is under real pressure. Demand is climbing fast and driven by manufacturing, by technology, and the needs for a modern economy while large amounts of dependable thermal generation are scheduled to retire. Mr. Chair, when you put those two trends together, you get a grid that must work harder than ever and cannot afford any weak links. That is exactly why the Electric Supply Chain Act is on this floor this day. The bill directs the Department of Energy to regularly assess the supply chains for the components that keep our bulk power system running--not after a crisis, not after a breakdown, but proactively. We know the risks are real, Mr. Chair. Our Nation's electric grid is the largest machine ever built, and it depends on thousands of specialized parts: transformers, inverters, control systems, many of which have long lead times or limited manufacturers. Any bottleneck, any shortage, any compromised component puts reliability at risk and drives costs higher for families and businesses. This legislation strengthens our posture. It gives us the visibility we need to stay ahead of threats, support domestic production, and ensure Americans have access to secure, dispatchable, and reliable power.”