Wednesday, May 23, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) expressed concern today with a government watchdog’s latest report to committee leadership on Department of Energy safety reforms at the nation’s most sensitive nuclear storage sites and laboratories. The Government Accountability Office report, “Nuclear Safety: DOE Needs to Determine the Costs and Benefits of Its Safety Reform Effort,” finds that while DOE significantly cut its safety directives to combat duplication, the agency did not first determine whether the directives it planned to revise were indeed burdensome or costly and would impact security procedures.   Read More >

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

The Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy and the Subcommittee on Energy and Power have scheduled a joint hearing on Thursday, May 31, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The title of the hearing is “NRC Policy and Governance Oversight.” All five commissioners of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are expected to testify.   Read More >

Monday, May 21, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders are urging the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to promptly issue a decision on the license renewal of the Pilgrim Reactor in Massachusetts. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL), and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Emeritus Joe Barton (R-TX) wrote to the five NRC Commissioners inquiring about the stalled application process. The Entergy Corporation filed its original application on January 27, 2006, and the current operating license is set to expire on June 8, 2012.   Read More >

Monday, May 21, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY), and Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL) made the following statement in response to today’s announcement that embattled Nuclear Regulatory Chairman Gregory Jaczko will resign:   Read More >

Friday, May 18, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – One of the country’s largest regional power grid operators, PJM Interconnection, today announced the results of its annual auction that locks in electricity capacity prices three years in advance. Today’s auction established capacity prices for 2015-2016, the first year electric generators will be required to comply with EPA’s costly Utility MACT rule. The results of the auction confirmed the predictions of Republican lawmakers who warned that EPA’s new power rules would drive up electricity costs for American consumers.   Read More >

Thursday, May 17, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – Republican leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee today wrote to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson seeking more information about EPA’s plans to regulate carbon emissions for new and existing power plants. Members believe EPA’s New Source Performance Standards will serve as a backdoor energy tax on American consumers. EPA’s recently proposed rule regulating emissions for new power plants is designed to effectively ban the construction of any new coal-fired power plants in America.   Read More >

Thursday, May 17, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – Continuing its efforts under the American Energy Initiative, the House Energy and Commerce Committee today passed the Gasoline Regulations Act and Strategic Energy Production Act. The bills, which both passed with bipartisan support, aim to protect consumers from higher gas prices and promote U.S. energy security.   Read More >

Thursday, May 17, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC - The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, chaired by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), this week held its third hearing examining the broadband loan and grants programs of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and Rural Utility Service (RUS). During the hearing, members examined the speed and effectiveness of the loan and grant programs doled out through the president’s stimulus program.   Read More >