In Case You Missed It - Lights Out In 2009

by Janet Kavinoky

The NextGen Energy Council released a study last week highlighting that "the U.S. faces significant risk of power brownouts and blackouts as early as next summer that may cost tens of billions of dollars and threaten lives."  The U.S. Chamber’s Let’s Rebuild America initiative is about focusing attention on big picture infrastructure needs in this country, and energy is certainly among them.

When we talk about infrastructure investment, too often we just focus on the public sector side.  In reality, most systems in the U.S. are developed by the private sector – the companies in the business of providing energy, broadband connections and railroads, for example. 

The needs that the NextGen Energy Council outlined underscore that as a nation we have to:

• Unwind regulations that do nothing but serve as barriers to developing the systems we need.
• Establish fair rules and stop moving the goalposts on companies making capital investment plans.
• Stop using lawsuits to hijack projects even if they meet all of the regulatory requirements
• And ensure businesses that, if they play by the rules, they can recover their development costs.

Below are remarks on energy infrastructure which General James L. Jones, from the U.S. Chamber's Institute for 21st Century Energy, delivered last week.