Press Release

MONTPELIER, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) , Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development , Energy , and Credit , this week delivered remarks at the Washington Electric Coop’s (WEC) Annual Meeting, held in Montpelier. In his remarks, the Senator highlighted his bipartisan bill with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), the REWIRE Act , which would modernize the nation’s electric grid and meet America’s growing energy demand. The Senators’ legislation would incentivize advanced transmission upgrades, strengthen state grid planning, and accelerate the deployment of innovative grid technologies to lower costs and improve grid reliability for American families and businesses. “Vermonters don’t mind working hard, but they want to know that at the end of the day their hard work will put them a step ahead—not two steps behind. Right now, the Trump Administration is moving us backward by undermining clean energy projects and increasing our dependence on expensive and volatile fossil fuels. At a time when we need more affordable electricity and greater electrification across our economy, it makes no sense to turn away from clean energy sources like wind and solar that are already among the cheapest forms of power we can use,” said Senator Welch . “My bipartisan REWIRE Act takes a commonsense approach to upgrade the transmission infrastructure we already have and will lower costs for Vermonters.” After two decades of stagnation, American electricity demand is projected to rise by as much as 5.7% by 2030—the fastest increase since the 1960s. Meeting this demand will require nearly 5,000 miles of new high-capacity transmission lines each year, according to the Department of Energy. Yet in 2024, only 322 miles of new high-voltage transmission were completed. The Reconductoring Existing Wires for Infrastructure Reliability and Expansion (REWIRE) Act provides a commonsense path forward: rather than building from scratch, upgrade existing transmission lines with advanced conductors that can double capacity (a process known as “reconductoring”). By reducing congestion and bypassing lengthy permitting requirements, reconductoring could reduce grid costs by $85 billion by 2035 and $180 billion by 2050. Learn more about the REWIRE Act and read a one-pager on the bill. ###