Affordable, Abundant, Reliable Electricity Act

<h2 style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" line-height="line-height" em="em" margin-top="margin-top" margin-bottom="margin-bottom"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></strong></h2><h2 style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" line-height="line-height" em="em" margin-top="margin-top" margin-bottom="margin-bottom"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></strong></h2><h2 style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" line-height="line-height" em="em" margin-top="margin-top" margin-bottom="margin-bottom"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Special Program to Work on Radical Rewrite of U.S. Constitution</font></strong></h2><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">ALEC is extending its conference well into the evening on Friday this year to hold an "interactive academy" on rewriting the U.S. Constitution</span>. Attendees will "learn how an Article V amendments convention will actually play out," and "cast their ballots to decide which ideas to pursue," an <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21018436-alec-academy-article-v-and-bba-tickets-fri-jul-30-2021" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">invite</a> obtained by CMD details.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One of the goals of the tutorial appears to be to convince lawmakers that a runaway convention can be prevented, despite expert opinions that this is impossible.</font></b></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">"Once you have the convention, it is subject to nobody's control," Georgetown University Law Professor David Super <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-constitutions-scott-walker-politics-business-0079f922a810f82336a64b4ac6a3a214" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">told</a> the AP. "It makes its own agenda. It makes its own voting rules that decides how long it lasts and how far it goes</span>."</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>At the 2020 Annual Meeting, former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-constitutions-scott-walker-politics-business-0079f922a810f82336a64b4ac6a3a214" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">detailed</a> a legal strategy to force a convention to rewrite the nation's founding document even though at the time only 28 of 34 states needed had resolutions calling for one pending</b>. </font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Former State Rep. Ken Ivory (R-UT) will moderate the event, while<b> U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, </b>Prof. Robert Natelson, David Biddulph, former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, and Dr. Barry Poulson will present.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ALEC is already pushing constitutional convention calls for a balanced budget amendment and sweeping new limits on federal powers, but meeting attendees will also have the opportunity to consider <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">a newly proposed convention call for a package of tax and fiscal reforms, including "abolishing the existing Internal Revenue Code," called the <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/application-under-article-v-of-the-u-s-constitution-to-propose-an-amendment-to-require-fiscal-limitations-and-accountability-for-the-legislative-and-executive-branches-of-the-national-government/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Application Under Article V of the U.S. Constitution to Propose an Amendment to Require Fiscal Limitations and Accountability for the Legislative and Executive Branches of the National Government</a>. </span></font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The model application also seeks to combine the states that pass it with other balanced budget amendment convention calls in an attempt to reach the 34 states needed to convene a constitutional convention.</font></p><h2 style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" line-height="line-height" em="em" margin-top="margin-top" margin-bottom="margin-bottom"><strong><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Protecting Fossil Fuel Interests and Other Climate Harming Measures</font></strong></h2><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ALEC politicians will once again consider model bills to protect fossil fuel interests and polluters.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Meeting attendees will debate a number of <b>policies framed around ending "energy discrimination." </b>The radical <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/energy-discrimination-elimination-act/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Energy Discrimination Elimination Act</a> would punish financial institutions and other companies that cease to do business with fossil fuel companies by barring the state from investing in them and denying them state business. The policy also includes an anti-boycott measure which prohibits government contractors from boycotting energy companies, even asking for "written verification" from companies stating that they "will not boycott energy companies during the term of the contract."</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">This model, as well as the </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/affordable-abundant-reliable-electricity-act/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Affordable, Abundant, Reliable Electricity Act</a>, </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">which seeks to protect all energy producers in the name of maintaining a reliable electrical grid, are being lobbied for by Randy Eminger, executive director of the Energy Policy Network,</span> an <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21018441-alec-model-bills-supporting-coal-based-power-email-from-coal-lobbyist-june-24-2021" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">email</a> obtained by CMD details.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">An advocate for "clean coal,"</span> Eminger describes his mission at Energy Policy Network</b> as, "to support the continued use of coal-fueled power," in the email, and notes that "four other comrades from the industry" will be at the ALEC conference as well.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">In keeping with ALEC's <a href="https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2018/07/12/alec-extreme-exxon-long-term-alec-board-member-dumps-alec-climate-denial-policy%e2%80%8b/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">climate-denial history</a> and pay-to-play work for fossil fuel giants, ALEC lawmakers will also vote on resolutions to <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/resolution-supporting-reliable-and-affordable-energy/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">oppose any government action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions</a>, and <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/resolution-to-protect-market-access-for-all-electricity-generators/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">oppose any restrictions on the use of fossil fuels to produce electricity</a>.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Indeed, ALEC is even proposing a model bill, the <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/safeguarding-greenhouse-gas-regulatory-authority-act/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Safeguarding Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Authority Act</a>, to bar any state agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions or entering into any regional compact without "specific legislative authorization.”</span> </font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/resolution-urging-states-to-establish-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-as-a-competitive-market-free-from-utility-commission-regulation/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Resolution Urging States to Establish<b> Electric Vehicle</b> Charging Stations as a Competitive Market Free From Utility Commission Regulation</a> urges state utility commissions to forbid "regulated utilities from using electric customer funds to build its own fleet of electric charging stations," thereby removing crucial funds to expand the infrastructure a larger fleet of electric cars will need in the future. This will have the intended consequence of forcing people to continue driving gas-guzzling vehicles for longer than necessary.</font></p><p style="margin: 1.5em 0px; font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">ALEC is also introducing another preemption model bill around plastics, the <a href="https://www.alec.org/model-policy/act-to-establish-statewide-uniformity-for-essential-plastic-regulations/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">Act to Establish Statewide Uniformity for Essential Plastic Regulations</a>. Spun as a policy to ensure "essential" plastic products are available, the proposed bill would bar municipalities from banning or taxing plastic food wrappers and plastic water bottles.</span> The measure follows a 2015 <b>American City County Exchange</b> (an ALEC offshoot) <a href="https://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/03/13060/barring-plastic-bag-bans-another-alec-bill-takes-aim-local-democracy" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-shadow: rgb(204, 51, 51) 0px 3px 0px 0px; transition: all 500ms ease-in-out 0s;">resolution</a> that calls on local government not to regulate many <b>single-use products, </b>including, "reusable bags, disposable bags, boxes, cups, and bottles that are made of cloth, paper, plastic, extruded polystyrene, or similar materials."</font></p><h2 style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" word-spacing="word-spacing" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" line-height="line-height" em="em" margin-top="margin-top" margin-bottom="margin-bottom"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Regulating Big Tech?</font></span></h2><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://alec.org/model-policy/affordable-abundant-reliable-electricity-act/</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">aFFORDABLE, RELIABLE, AND RESILIENT ELECTRICITY ACT</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Policy Status</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Type: Model Policy Status: Final Date Introduced: July 29, 2021 Date Finalized: August 25, 2021</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Issues</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Energy</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Task Forces</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Energy, Environment and Agriculture</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Related Articles</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">New Model Policies from the Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force at the 48th ALEC Annual Meeting</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">HANNAH ROGERS/7 MONTHS AGO</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tags</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">AM 2021</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Summary</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>AN ACT directing the electric utility regulatory agency to develop rules and procedures promoting an affordable, reliable and resilient electric grid that meets peak net load and peak demand, including during extreme weather events.[ercot wind texas?]</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE, AND RESILIENT ELECTRICITY ACT</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">   </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">• “Affordable” means that the lowest cost means of providing electricity is used, <b>factoring in the true and total cost of each generation source.[THEY DON'T MEAN CANCER AND RESP DISEASE]</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">• “Reliable” means that load shedding events are extremely rare and that there are no system wide power shortages or <b>brownouts for more than a few hours once every 10 years.</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">• “On demand power” otherwise known as “dispatchable” power, means electricity from sources whose output is <b>not weather dependent </b>and can be controlled to meet changes in demand.[COAL NUKE ANGA]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">• “Intermittent generation”, also known as non-dispatchable power, means electric generation that that varies minute-to-minute based on weather conditions.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">• “Firming power” means <b>electric systems that provide at least 48 hours of back-up power</b> to “firm” intermittent generation.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">• “Peak net load” is the estimated peak demand minus the minimum predicted level of intermittent generation.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">• “Reserve margin” means the amount of on-demand and firming power needed to meet peak net load.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MODEL LEGISLATION</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1. The electric utility regulatory agency shall develop rules and procedures to ensure that the electric grid within the state, or to which the state’s grid is interconnected, is affordable, reliable, and resilient.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2. The grid will be considered affordable, reliable, and resilient if:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">a. Electricity is provided with the lowest total cost factoring in the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">true and total cost of competing power generation resources, including the fiscal costs of <b>direct and indirect subsidies,</b> and the <b>cost of transmission[ROOFTOP SOLAR]</b>, firming power, and other system costs necessary</span> to integrate a given generation resource without sacrificing grid reliability or resilience.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">b. It maintains a minimum reserve margin of 15%; and</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">c. Generation resources serving the grid meet continuous operating requirements for summer and winter peaks, including extreme weather events that necessitate on-site fuel storage, dual fuel capability, or fuel supply arrangements to ensure winter performance for several days.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3. Intermittent generation shall be required to provide firming power up to their average output level during periods of peak net load, and the cost of that firming shall be attributed to or otherwise included in the <b>rate structure consistent with cost-causation principles.</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4. The minimum reserve margin shall be a primary consideration of the electricity regulatory agency when retiring or adding electric generation.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">5. That the state (AGENCY) coordinate with regional transmission organizations to ensure and develop policies reflected above which provide reliable, dispatchable power for the region in an effective and consistent manner.</font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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