Edison Electric Institute
The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is an association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies.
Formation
1933
701 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004-2696
Pedro J. Pizarro
Dan Brouillette
Its members provide electricity for 220 million Americans, operate in 50 states and the District of Columbia, and directly employ more than one million workers.[1] EEI has 70 international electric companies as Affiliate Members, and 250 industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members. The organization’s president is Dan Brouillette, who was Secretary of Energy in the Donald Trump administration from 2019 to 2021.[2]
In its official communications, EEI mostly cast doubt on climate change in the 1990s. In the 2000s, EEI no longer cast doubt on climate change. In its official communications, the organization however called for a delay in transitioning towards cleaner sources of energy. The organization heavily promoted "clean coal" as a cleaner source of energy ("clean coal" was mentioned as much as all other carbon-free technologies combined). Since 2015, EEI's official communications have acknowledged the scientific consensus on climate change, although its chairman in 2017 said he did not agree with the scientific consensus.[3]
In 2023, EEI lobbied against the Joe Biden administration's proposals to require upgrades to existing natural gas-fired power plants in order to curb climate-warming emissions.[4][5]
Members of the Edison Electric Institute are investor-owned utility companies, meaning that they are privately held companies that supply power and electricity to businesses and consumers.
Some of the larger members include:[1]
Issues[edit]
2017 tax cut[edit]
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the largest tax overhaul in 30 years, was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump at the end of 2017. The legislation had several provisions that benefit the electric industry: maintaining the federal income tax deduction for interest expense for regulated electric companies; maintaining the federal income tax deduction for state and local taxes; and providing for the “continuation of normalization, including addressing excess deferred taxes resulting from a reduction in the tax rate.”[7]
Electric vehicles[edit]
On June 8, 2015, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and the Edison Electric Institute signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). The MOU sets up a collaboration between the government and EEI to make PEVs, by the year 2022, as affordable as regular gas-powered vehicles were in 2012. The Department of Energy runs an initiative called the "EV Everywhere Grand Challenge", which put forth the 2022 affordability goal. The program coincides with the popularity of electric vehicle sales, which have increased by 128 percent between 2012 and 2014.[8]
EEI runs a program called the Employee PEV Engagement Initiative. The goal is to "increase electric vehicle readiness, especially in the workplace," according to the Department of Energy. According to the Department of Energy, Kate Brandt, Federal Chief Sustainability Officer at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said, "Today's Memorandum of Understanding with the nation's electric power industry allows the Department of Energy to tap into the experience and scale of an industry that is truly leading the way in moving the electric vehicle market forward."[8]
In pursuing the initiative, EEI and the DOE will work with other federal agencies including Department of Transportation (DOT), General Services Administration (GSA), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and the White House.[8]
Grid security[edit]
The energy grid is a complex, interconnected network of generation, transmission, distribution, control, and communication technologies. Any of these can be damaged by either natural events or malicious attacks such as cyber or physical attacks. The electric power industry has engaged with a series of initiatives meant to protect the energy grid from these threats. The industry collaborates with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, and federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies.[9]
On September 20, 2018, EEI announced that it supported the Trump Administration's unveiled National Cyber Strategy. The protection of critical infrastructure such as the electric grid were included in the National Cyber Strategy.[10]
Hurricane Maria[edit]
After Hurricane Maria hit the island of Puerto Rico in 2017, the federal government invested $3.2 billion into restoring the island's power grid. The Edison Electric Institute deployed Carlos D. Torres, a retired vice president at Consolidated Edison, to Puerto Rico to coordinate storm rebuilding of the power grid. Subsequently, Torres was appointed by Gov. Ricardo Rossello as coordinator for storm restoration.[11]
Unmanned aircraft[edit]
EEI supports the use of drones (unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS) by electric power companies to maintain electric grids and restore downed service. In July 2016, Congress passed legislation (H.R. 636) that "includes provisions supporting electric power companies utilizing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for energy grid maintenance and service restoration."[12]
Foundation[edit]
The Edison Electric Institute runs the Edison Electric Institute for Electric Innovation foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The foundation's main activities are research, holding conferences, giving grants, and outreach to outside parties and organizations. The foundation's three main goals are to educate the public about how electric power is produced, delivered, and used; help make the environment clean and safe; and to improve the quality of life for all people. The governing structure of the foundation is a board of directors composed of electric industry CEOs.[16]