The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have inked a joint MoU to inform novel opportunities in clean energy to back access to dependable and reasonably-priced electricity as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s target of a net-zero economy through 2050.
“Under this partnership with DOE, we will provide needed regulatory certainty and support grid reliability and resiliency at every stage as the agency advances efforts to reduce pollution, protect public health, and deliver environmental and economic benefits for all,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.
Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm and EPA Administrator Regan have signed the MoU “Interagency Communication and Consultation on Electric Reliability” as the government works toward reducing inflation, investing in infrastructure and backing the DOE’s new Grid Deployment Office. The agreement furthers collaboration between the two agencies and facilitates conversation with important stakeholders, monitoring of the power industry and disclosure of analysis and data.
The MoU will see the EPA and DOE partnering to ensure the power sector offers dependability in terms of supply of electricity. The agencies will also work toward taking hold of innovative opportunities in dependable electric supply that fall in line with promoting clean energy. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will be consulted by both agencies on this initiative.
Both agencies have designated a team of experts on electric reliability to serve as points of contact for routine communications across the agencies. In addition, the agencies will meet on an at least semiannual basis to provide updates about policies, programs, and activities pertaining to electric reliability, share information and analysis, and discuss ongoing monitoring and outreach activities.
The United States already has in place a multilayered system of institutions, policies, and practices to ensure that infrastructure for generating, transmitting, and distributing electric power maintains the "highest standards of reliability." The MOU ensures that, with the sound application of existing authorities and policy tools, DOE and EPA can continue to support the ability of the power sector to maintain electric reliability and seize new reliability opportunities presented by clean energy advancement. EPA and DOE anticipate continued consultation with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on electric reliability challenges.
