A Look Back at the Long Path to Mandating Electric Reliability Standards through the Energy Policy Act of 2005

The Act was the culmination of more than eight years of legislative effort in Congress. During this period, the nation saw the Western electricity crisis of 2000-01, the Sept. 11 attacks, the collapse of Enron, the growth of RTOs, and the August 2003 blackout. Each of these influenced the dynamics of the debate.