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Panel hears plans to keep FEMA temporary units online while new and repaired capacity comes online
Summary
Officials told senators FEMA-provided temporary units (350 MW installed, ~276 MW currently dispatched) are in service and that repairs plus procurement of 11 new units and possible 350 MW conventional plant would reduce near-term reliability risk.
Committee members asked about reliability and the status of FEMA temporary units and other short-term generation. Panelists said FEMA installed 350 MW in temporary units though daily dispatch was around 276 MW at the time of the hearing. Officials said the objective is to keep those units operating while repairs to existing units continue and new units procured in 2024–2025 enter service.
Why it matters: The committee was warned that removing the temporary FEMA units prematurely would create a reliability gap that could raise costs and increase outage risk. Panelists described a portfolio approach: (1) complete repairs to existing units to raise hit rate and efficiency, (2) award a procurement for eleven modern units expected online by 2025, and (3) pursue a medium-term public–private plant (350 MW+) to improve system resilience.
Key facts: Panelists said some tranche renewables and "shovel-ready" renewable projects may enter service in 2024–2025, but most tranche projects follow multi-year construction windows and some are expected later in the ten-year federal funding horizon. Senators asked for a project-status table that lists each project, approval date, procurement status and percent complete; panelists agreed to provide that.
