{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://fedorchak.house.gov/media/press-releases/fedorchak-introduces-high-capacity-grid-act-modernize-americas-transmission", "Fedorchak introduces High-Capacity Grid Act to modernize America\u2019s transmission system", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "ND", "Julie Fedorchak", "F000482", "fedorchak.house.gov", "fedorchak", "https://fedorchak.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) today introduced the High-Capacity Grid Act, legislation to modernize America\u2019s transmission system by requiring the use of best-available transmission conductors for new interstate transmission lines and rebuilds.\n\n\u201cAmerica cannot afford to build yesterday\u2019s grid for tomorrow\u2019s needs,\u201d Fedorchak said. \u201cForecasts indicate the United States will need at least 100 GW of new power in the next five years\u2014more than we\u2019re anticipated to bring online. To meet this record demand, we need to optimize our existing infrastructure, which is exactly what the High-Capacity Grid Act does. Directing FERC to establish a best-available transmission conductor standard will strengthen energy reliability, maximize line capacity, improve wildfire resilience, and save billions of dollars in new transmission line costs for Americans.\u201d\n\nThe cost of transmission is the biggest driver of increasing utility rates. According to a Brattle study and the Energy Information Administration, transmission costs have increased 181 percent since 2005. At the same time, generation costs have decreased 35 percent.\n\n\u201cAdvanced conductors can carry double the electricity of traditional power lines. Using this new technology in every possible application is essential to meeting demand at the lowest possible cost,\u201d Fedorchak added.\n\nUtilities often rebuild or upgrade lines using outdated, inefficient conductors, even when far superior technologies are available. This leads to:\n\nUnderbuilt lines that require additional upgrades only a few years later.\n\nHigher temperatures and line sag, increasing vegetation-contact and wildfire risk.\n\nSlower project timelines and frequent line losses, increasing costs for Americans.\n\nThe High-Capacity Grid Act directs FERC to establish a best-available transmission conductor standard, requiring utilities to use the highest-capacity, highest-efficiency, and lowest-sag commercially available conductors for interstate transmission.\n\nThe High-Capacity Grid Act amends Section 205 of the Federal Power Act to:\n\nDefine Best-Available Transmission Conductor: A best-available conductor must provide the greatest feasible capacity at a given voltage, deliver the highest electrical efficiency, and mitigate thermal sag.\n\nApply the Standard to All Covered Projects: Includes new FERC-jurisdictional lines and upgrades, modifications, replacements, or reconductoring of existing lines.\n\nEstablish Cost-Recovery Presumptions: Utilities are precluded from recovering the costs of non-best-available conductors through consumers\u2019 electric bills, unless the utility can clearly demonstrate that a lesser conductor is the best available in their specific context.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://fedorchak.house.gov/media/press-releases/fedorchak-introduces-high-capacity-grid-act-modernize-americas-transmission"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5931986272335052, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}