On Friday, U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Chris Deluzio (D-PA) said they oppose a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposed rule that would mandate the use of transformer cores not made in Pennsylvania.
In a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Kelly and Deluzio said the DOE’s proposed rule mandating the use of amorphous metal (AM) cores, instead of Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel (GOES) cores for electrical distribution transformers would jeopardize jobs in Pennsylvania. Currently, the only facility in the U.S. that produces GOES cores is located in Butler, Pa. A switch to AM cores would jeopardize the more than 1,500 American jobs at the facility and leave the U.S. grid reliant on imports, the Congress members said.
The AM cores, officials said, rely on imports of raw materials which could leave the country susceptible to disruptions from production to shipping. The Congress members said the U.S. Department of Commerce has identified those imports as a threat to national security.
“Finalizing this rule would significantly impact the production of distribution transformers, which are already difficult to obtain,” the law makers wrote. “Grid security and reliability are vital to our economic and national security. We respectfully urge you to make serious modifications that preserve utilization of GOES for transformer cores to the proposed rule and thank you for your consideration.”
Additionally, the Congress members said, the proposed rule increases efficiency standards on distribution transformers, which are already 97.7 percent energy efficient, and jeopardizes the length of time it takes to get transformers at a time procuring one already takes more than 16 months.
“This rule would severely limit the ability of our utility providers to ensure grid reliability and security while making us dependent on foreign imports of amorphous metal,” they said.