Washington, D.C. (March 31, 2021) — Edison Electric Institute (EEI) President Tom Kuhn today issued the following statement on the release of the American Jobs Plan:
"EEI and our member companies are pleased that President Biden and his Administration are focused on building and enhancing our nation’s infrastructure, and we welcome policies that create jobs and encourage investment in clean energy technologies, the energy grid, electric vehicle charging, and middle-mile broadband.
“Across the country, EEI’s member companies are leading by example on clean energy and are committed to getting the energy they provide as clean as they can as fast as they can, without compromising on the reliability and affordability that our customers value. Today, nearly 40 percent of the nation's electricity comes from carbon-free sources, and carbon emissions from the U.S. power sector are at their lowest level in more than 40 years—and continue to fall.
“Reaching a 100 percent clean energy future will require new, carbon-free, 24/7 technologies that are affordable for customers. We applaud the Administration for supporting increased funding for the research and development of these technologies and for recognizing that, ultimately, technology will drive the timeline to a 100 percent clean energy future. To that end, EEI and our member companies joined with leading technology and environmental NGOs last week to launch the Carbon-Free Technology Initiative, which is focused on implementation of supportive federal policies.
"We also must get critical electric transmission and other energy grid infrastructure built more quickly. The transmission system is key to integrating more renewables, more clean energy, and more technologies into the grid affordably and reliably. EEI’s member companies are vital to transmission development, and we look forward to working with the Administration and key federal agencies to get this critical energy infrastructure built more quickly.
"We are pleased that the Administration is focused on policies that encourage investment in electric transportation and deployment of charging infrastructure that will enable more electric cars, trucks, and buses to drive on U.S. roads. Together we can leverage the growth in clean energy to help achieve deep carbon reductions in the transportation sector, which is the largest domestic source of carbon emissions.
"Finally, we share the Administration's goal of expanding affordable and reliable broadband access to all American communities. Many EEI member companies already are working to provide the infrastructure that is needed to reach these underserved and unserved areas. Creating new opportunities for electric companies to leverage their fiber investments to provide middle-mile broadband infrastructure, in partnership with telecommunications companies and last-mile internet providers, is a win for all stakeholders, particularly customers and communities in underserved and unserved areas.
"EEI will continue to work with the Biden Administration, and with policymakers on both sides of the political aisle in Congress, to build consensus and to advance the policies needed to deliver a reliable, affordable clean energy future for all Americans.”
