“A grid that leans too heavily on a single fuel — even one as abundant as natural gas — is exposed to shocks, price volatility, and potential failure. True resilience comes from optionality — not restriction. Every resource, working together, to deliver for every Louisianan.“
Jeffrey Clark, President of the Advanced Power Alliance, offered this written testimony in opposition to House Bill 692 when it was heard by the Louisiana Senate Committee on Natural Resources, June 5, 2025:
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee:
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony today. I am Jeffrey Clark, President of the Advanced Power Alliance, and I present this testimony in opposition to House Bill 692.
This legislation is being promoted as a solution to Louisiana’s reliability challenges. But with all due respect, it is a solution in search of a problem — and one that, if enacted, would move our state backward, not forward.
HB 692 directs the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources to coordinate with the Public Service Commission to ensure reliance on energy resources that are dispatchable, hydrocarbon-based, and domestically sourced — as if this alone will secure our grid. But the effect of this bill is to enshrine in statute a narrow, exclusionary definition of reliability — one that is blind to innovation, market evolution, and the practical demands of modern electric systems.
Let me be clear: No one disputes that fossil fuels have played — and will continue to play — an essential role in our energy mix. Advanced Power Alliance advocates for a grid that relies on natural gas, renewables, nuclear power, and energy storage – because we know that this diverse mix is the best recipe to deliver abundant, reliable, affordable power to consumers and industry. Our members include natural gas producers, retailers, and customers. We’re not opposing any fuel type, but we’re opposing discriminatory legislation that limits the state’s options as technologies expand.
We support fossil fuels as a key part of the nation’s energy mix, but codifying them as the only acceptable path forward dismisses a growing body of evidence that grid reliability depends on resource diversity, transmission flexibility, and smart integration of all available technologies, including renewable energy resources.
Louisiana’s current energy mix is already highly concentrated — nearly 74% of our electricity came from natural gas in February of this year, and another 14% from nuclear. That’s nearly 90% from just two sources. Less than 4% of our energy comes from wind or solar.
That is not a diversified grid. That is not resilience. That is vulnerability to performance and price.
We’ve seen in neighboring states what happens when fuel markets tighten or extreme weather hits supply chains. A grid that leans too heavily on a single fuel — even one as abundant as natural gas — is exposed to shocks, price volatility, and potential failure. True resilience comes from optionality — not restriction. Every resource, working together, to deliver for every Louisianan.
HB 692 attempts to define “reliability” in a way that excludes technologies capable of supporting the grid — including solar, wind, and battery storage. This runs counter to what grid operators across the country are doing. ERCOT, SPP, PJM, and MISO are all investing in renewables and advanced storage to balance load, meet rising demand, and stabilize the grid — especially in times of system stress.
This bill would send the opposite message: that Louisiana is willing to politicize its energy future and lock itself out of investment, innovation, and opportunity. That’s not just bad policy — it’s strategically short-sighted.
We also don’t know how this legislation would be enforced. Would it bind utility planning processes? Would it preclude competitive procurement? Would it chill investment in emerging energy sectors like offshore wind? What would it ultimately cost the state’s consumers and its economic development potential? There are more questions than answers — and for something of this consequence, that’s a dangerous way to legislate.
Louisiana faces real and pressing grid challenges. But solving them will take an all-of-the-above strategy — not a none-but-one strategy.
I urge you to reject this bill, because it brings too much risk to Louisiana’s energy future and energy options. We urge you to reject it because we hope you support an energy future that is resilient, flexible, and open to all solutions that work.
Thank you for your time, and I welcome the opportunity to continue our work with you.