News

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Maximizing Opportunities for Redeveloping Brownfields Sites: Assessing the Potential for New American Innovation. Subcommittee Chairman Griffith's opening statement as prepared for delivery: "Today, this Subcommittee will examine the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields grant program.  "Brownfields are generally described as properties that contain or may contain a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, which in turn complicates efforts to expand, redevelop, or reuse the site.  "Often, these contaminated sites are not redeveloped, because prospective new owners are worried about becoming responsible for potential liability as the original company that is liable for the contamination no longer exists. "Through this program, EPA provides grant funding to states, Tribes, economic development agencies, and other entities who are then able to study the extent of contamination, clean up the site, and find a way to redevelop it. "Since 1993, EPA has administered efforts to clean up these sites. Congress first formally established the Brownfields program in the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, and codified it under the Comprehensive, Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. "The brownfields program has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support, and the last statutory authorization expired last September, at the end of Fiscal Year 2023.  "Reauthorizing this program will provide us with an opportunity to examine the program and find out what aspects are working well and what aspects need improvement. I believe taking testimony from our witnesses today will help us to inform our efforts.  "Additionally, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided an unprecedented supplemental appropriation of $1.5 billion for brownfields. The awards funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act were exempted from some of the traditional statutory limitations, such as certain maximum grant amounts and state and local cost share requirements. We will need to examine these changes and understand their advantages and disadvantages. "EPA estimates there are more than 450,000 brownfields properties in the United States. This amounts to a lot of unused or underutilized land with economic potential. "Broadly we also know that we will need additional infrastructure and facilities to support our growing economy and process the materials and components needed for new innovative technologies.  "The Brownfields program may also be a good tool to help secure American leadership in emerging industries and traditional manufacturing.  "For example, ABI Research, an industry analysis firm, estimates that by the end of 2025, there will be over 6,000 data centers built worldwide as artificial intelligence continues to take off. "Over the next five years, our country’s electricity demand is expected to grow by almost 16 percent. This growing demand will entail construction of additional energy resources. "So, today we will examine opportunities to bring those industries to Brownfields sites in our communities and explore existing barriers to putting these sites to good use. "In my district in Southwest Virginia, counties, state agencies, regional organizations, and public-private partnerships have already been hard at work revitalizing former mine land for economic development. "I hope we can learn more today about how the Brownfields Program can support these endeavors and similar ones around the country.  "Thank you to our witnesses for being here and contributing to these efforts.  "First, we have the Honorable Jim Connaughton, Chief Executive Officer of James L. ConnaughtonStrategies where he works on sustainable technology innovation and public policy.  "Mr. Connaughton recently served as CEO of Nautilus Data Technologies, a company producing data center components with minimal environmental impacts. He also served as Chairman of the White House Counsel on Environmental Quality under President Bush.  "As you all know, this Committee has been engaged in robust discussion over the past few years on ways to improve the permitting process generally, so we welcome his extensive experience in this area. "We also welcome back Mayor Christian Bollwagefrom the City of Elizabeth, New Jersey.  "The Committee greatly appreciates him lending his knowledge and expertise to our efforts to reauthorize the Brownfields Program. "We will also hear from Christa Stoneham, President and CEO of the Houston Land Bank. Thank you for being here to share your insights on the program and efforts to revitalize the areas your organization serves.  "Last but not least, I am excited to welcome my constituent Duane Miller, Executive Director of the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission. My staff and I have had the privilege of working with the Commission for years. They’ve played an integral role in attracting emerging industries to our region, creating jobs, and cleaning up abandoned sites in Southwest Virginia. "Thank you all for being here, and I look forward to a good discussion. I now recognize the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Mr. Tonko, for his opening statement."  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing titled Fixing Biden’s Broadband Blunder . “I hope this new Congress and the urgency of this moment will inspire bipartisan cooperation on this effort. We must do everything we can to remove these unnecessary barriers to deployment,” said Chairman Hudson. “Unserved Americans have waited too long for the promise of connectivity. But now is the moment to close the digital divide once and for all.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from yesterday's hearing: Representative Neal Dunn (FL-02): “We spent 65 billion in the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act, the IIJA, to support broadband activities, and we have nothing to show for it. We have a poster that shows how much money was put into a number of these different programs – not all of them, just some of the bigger ones. In fact, they’re over 130 programs in total.” Representative Buddy Carter (GA-01): “Let’s face it, the past 4 years under the Biden Harris administration has been nothing short of a disaster for broadband deployment and expansion to America, and it’s because of the permitting process. Permitting delays have, have resulted in And, and, and the can and halting the construction of Bo band infrastructure, even in my own district of, of Georgia in the first congressional district.” Representative Erin Houchin (IN-09): “Back in the Indiana State Senate, I worked on broadband legislation trying to get access to unserved areas. As noted in some of your testimonies, we have seen overbuilding technologies that are picking winners and losers in some of these funding opportunities. One of the things that I wanted to do is make sure that any broadband that was deployed went to areas that had zero access first and then we would build to uh toward higher speeds.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Yesterday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing titled  Scaling for Growth: Meeting Demand for Reliable, Affordable Electricity. “In the coming years, it’s critical we produce the power needed to meet the demands of the electric grid, while also powering the data centers that are being built to support the critical advancement of AI technology,”   said Chairman Latta.   “During yesterday's Energy Subcommittee hearing, we discussed ways to increase baseload power generation, support our grid, and ensure the availability of affordable and reliable energy for American households and small businesses.”  Watch the full hearing  here .  Below are key excerpts from yesterday's hearing: Representative Rick Allen (GA-12):   “The United States has an abundant energy supply, and the question is not, do we have enough energy resources, but can we produce energy at the levels needed to meet the nation's future demand? My state of Georgia, the top state to do business in 12 years in a row, and with that new manufacturing and data centers are coming to the state. This is leading to high demand for the grid, and we must continue to ensure we can provide reliable, affordable energy as we power our nation's needs. In my district, the 12th District of Georgia, we have plant Vogel, the largest nuclear energy clean power station in the country. Nuclear injury will play a critical role in meeting our growing needs to ensure US leadership in the next generation economy .” Representative Troy Balderson (OH-12):  “It's been talked a little bit about here this morning. PJM's existing installed capacity mix is overwhelmingly made up of dispatchable power generation, such as natural gas, nuclear and coal. However, 97% of PGM's queue capacity comes from renewable generation. Mr. Haque, in, your testimony, you note that unlike traditional thermal generation renewable resources do not provide certain essential reliability services that are necessary to balance and maintain the power grid. Do you have any concerns with the lack of dispatchable power generation entering PJM's interconnection queue and are there enough of these projects to offset premature retirements and meet rising growth demand? ” Mr. Haque:  “Thank you, Representative. Great to see you. We certainly have concern with not having dispatchable resources in the generation interconnection queue and the grid is a machine and it is a machine governed by the laws of physics. North American Electric Reliability Corporation, has published papers and published analyses that say that we need essential reliability services. Which are things like control, ramp and voltage and things that as a lawyer, I don't quite understand, but that are necessary. So, we do need our spinning mass resources. We do need our thermal resources, nuclear, coal, gas to continue to run a power grid the size of PJM interconnection. Having said all that, we need these dispatchable resources to find their way in the system. We can integrate more renewables onto our system.” Representative Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL):   “Mr. Brickhouse, you're seeing significant demand increase. Do you expect that you can meet that demand with renewables alone?  Mr. Brickhouse: “No.” Representative Fedorchak:   “How about you, Mr. Black?” Mr. Black:   “No, not renewables alone.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, announced a hearing to explore potential opportunities for the restoration/remediation of brownfields sites to be used for the development of critical infrastructure. “As we look to grow American innovation, it’s time to examine the EPA’s Brownfields Site program and explore how these legacy sites can be used to support the development of critical infrastructure that will be vital to maintaining America’s competitive advantage,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Griffith. “This hearing is an opportunity for us to examine the implementation of EPA’s Brownfields program and the work that needs to be done to clean up those sites for redevelopment, especially in emerging industries like data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, and AI infrastructure. Together, we look forward to examining how Congress can continue to encourage innovation and address any challenges that might create obstacles to new development in our communities.” Subcommittee on Environment hearing titled Maximizing Opportunities for Redeveloping Brownfields Sites: Assessing the Potential for New American Innovation .  WHAT: Subcommittee on Environment Hearing on Renewing Brownfields Sites     DATE: Tuesday, March 11, 2025          TIME: 10:15 AM ET     LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building     This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Calvin Huggins at Calvin.Huggins1@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov .  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, issued the following statement after the House passed H.J. Res. 42, to rescind a Biden-Harris Administration rule that places additional costs and red tape on appliance manufacturers and ultimately American consumers by a vote of 222 to 203. “The passage of H.J. Res. 42 is another important step toward keeping our commitment to lower prices for American families,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s DOE energy efficiency standards have led to less choice for Americans, more expensive products, and a system that is biased against affordable and reliable natural gas. Thank you to Congressman Clyde for his work on this issue and his commitment to supporting the American households and families who ultimately have borne the cost of the Biden-Harris Administration’s failed policies.”  “House Republicans passed legislation to remove the Biden Administration’s handcuffs on American energy and protect American workers, consumers, and businesses. We are working alongside the Trump Administration to restore American energy dominance,” said Speaker Johnson. “From a harmful EPA rule standing in the way of the rubber tire manufacturing industry, to radical unnecessary energy efficiency standards, House Republicans are putting a stop to the Biden Administration’s damaging regulations that hurt the American people. We will continue helping President Trump implement his energy agenda to ensure lower costs, create jobs and restore consumer choice.” Background:  H.J.Res.42 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to "Energy Conservation Program for Appliance Standards: Certification Requirements, Labeling Requirements, and Enforcement Provisions for Certain Consumer Products and Commercial Equipment" would rescind a rule creating new certification, labeling, and enforcement provisions for various consumer products and commercial equipment. This final rule amended or created new certification, labeling, and enforcement requirements for 20 products, including dishwashers, central AC and heat pumps, clothes washers, and more. Additional certification, labeling, and reporting requirements will increase costs and slow the development of products. Further, the Department of Energy estimates these requirements will increase annual costs by $213,000 for manufacturers and result in an additional 2,905 hours of paperwork for companies to complete. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement after the House passed H.J. Res. 61, to rescind a Biden-Harris Administration rule that imposes burdensome regulations on American tire manufacturers by a vote of 216 to 202. “Flawed rule making during the Biden-Harris Administration has led to burdensome new requirements for job creators here in the United States. As we continue working to onshore manufacturing, it’s critical that we repeal the disastrous far-left policies that raised prices, slowed growth, and failed to meet the needs of the American people,” said Chairman Guthrie. “I am grateful to Chairman Griffith for his leadership on this issue and his commitment to supporting American tire manufacturing.”  “House Republicans passed legislation to remove the Biden Administration’s handcuffs on American energy and protect American workers, consumers, and businesses. We are working alongside the Trump Administration to restore American energy dominance,” said Speaker Johnson. “From a harmful EPA rule standing in the way of the rubber tire manufacturing industry, to radical unnecessary energy efficiency standards, House Republicans are putting a stop to the Biden Administration’s damaging regulations that hurt the American people. We will continue helping President Trump implement his energy agenda to ensure lower costs, create jobs and restore consumer choice.” “In our commitment to lowering costs and protecting the American manufacturing sector, House Republicans are aggressively dismantling the Biden regulatory regime and protecting good, well-paying American manufacturing jobs,” said Chairman Griffith. “Passage of my Congressional Review Act reverses an onerous, last-minute Biden regulation and provides essential relief to rubber tire manufacturers in Virginia and the rest of the United States. I thank the Republican Conference and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, led by Chairman Guthrie, for their support to rein in burdensome and costly regulations.” Background:  H.J.Res. 61 – Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing" would repeal the rule implementing the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the rubber tire manufacturing sector. This rule was finalized on November 29, 2024, and will create costly and unnecessary regulatory requirements for American tire manufacturers, raising prices and threatening manufacturing jobs. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Fixing Biden's Broadband Blunder. Subcommittee Chairman Hudson's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Closing the digital divide is a top priority for this Committee. Too many Americans, particularly those in rural America, like so many places in my home state of North Carolina, lack access to reliable high-speed broadband. With so much of everyday life requiring an internet connection, this is a vital need. “Since 2020, Congress has provided billions of dollars to connect unserved Americans. The most significant effort is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or I-I-J-A. This massive bill included the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). “It has been over 3 years since the IIJA became law, and we are still waiting for the first home to be connected using these funds. I think we should understand how this happened.  “First, FCC maps that Biden-FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel said would be ready in “months” instead took much longer to develop.  “Then, the Biden-Harris Administration saddled the BEAD program with regulations unrelated to broadband to appease left-wing interest groups.  “These included technology preferences, burdensome labor rules, and climate change requirements, to name a few.  “Worse, the Biden Administration flagrantly ignored the law by forcing states to regulate broadband rates before NTIA would approve their proposals, even though the law explicitly prohibits rate regulation. “These actions did nothing to deploy broadband but instead created confusion while making the program less attractive to providers and deployment more expensive.  “Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are committed to fixing these blunders so that every American has access to broadband as quickly as possible.  “That’s why today, I—along with many Republicans on this Committee—introduced the SPEED for BEAD Act.  “This bill would eliminate the burdensome Biden regulations so that we can get money out the door and shovels into the ground as soon as possible.  “Specifically, this bill would eliminate the unnecessary and expensive regulations NTIA imposed, further clarify that rate regulation by NTIA or any other entity is prohibited, ensure that the program is run on a technology-neutral basis, and more efficiently use tax dollars by ensuring that awards to providers are cost effective and that funds are only used for deployment.  “These changes to the BEAD program can be implemented quickly, provide certainty to the states, and not hinder the progress that states have already made.  “And I’m excited to hear that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, just a few minutes ago, announced that he’s launching a review of the BEAD program to cut red tape, eliminate waste, and make sure Americans get connected faster. I’m thrilled to have him join me in this effort.  “Reforming BEAD is one important step to ensuring every American has broadband, but it is not enough. We also need to reform the permitting process for broadband projects. If we do not reform this process, all of this money will get tied up in burdensome permitting reviews resulting in more unnecessary delays.  “For the past three Congresses, Energy and Commerce Republicans have introduced legislation to streamline the broadband permitting process.  “We have proposed codifying existing shot clocks to provide predictability in state and local permit reviews, exempting previously disturbed lands from duplicative and burdensome environmental and historic preservation reviews, and instilling transparency and urgency in permitting on federal lands. “Some of these bills had bipartisan support and passed the House last Congress.  “Unfortunately, Democrats refused to work with us on the most meaningful reforms, which were included in Representative Carter’s American Broadband Deployment Act.  “I hope this new Congress and the urgency of this moment will inspire bipartisan cooperation on this effort. We must do everything we can to remove these unnecessary barriers to deployment. “Unserved Americans have waited too long for the promise of connectivity.  “But now is the moment to close the digital divide once and for all.  “Today’s hearing is an opportunity to hear from stakeholders about how to address the challenges that could stop that from happening. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses.  “I now yield five minutes to my colleague, Ranking Member Doris Matsui, for her opening statement.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Scaling For Growth: Meeting The Demand For Reliable, Affordable Electricity. Subcommittee Chairman Latta's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Welcome to today’s hearing ‘Scaling for Growth: Meeting the Demand for Reliable, Affordable Electricity.’ “Today, we will discuss the state of our nation’s bulk power system and the opportunities that lie ahead in the next generation economy.  “Our nation’s electric grid, built over the course of almost 150 years, has been referred to as the most complex, sophisticated machine known to mankind.   “When operating correctly, the U.S. grid efficiently delivers low cost, reliable energy to communities of all sizes.   “Through extensive planning, coordination, and collaboration from a host of government and industry partners, this complex process seamlessly responds in real time to maintain reliability in both normal and extreme weather conditions. “Yet today, historic increases in electricity demand, primarily from energy intensive AI models and domestic manufacturing, are exposing key impediments to the ability of utilities, grid operators, and generators to keep the lights on.   “When the lights go out, people’s lives are at stake.   “The entities charged with overseeing our electric grid have been warning of potential shortfalls under normal weather conditions – extreme weather or unforeseen circumstances could turn catastrophic.   “In 2025 alone, the Energy Information Administration projects that 12.3 gigawatts of coal capacity are set to retire. By the end of the decade, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation projects as high as 52 gigawatts of thermal generation will retire.   “The stakes could not be higher.   “Across the world, our adversaries are actively seeking to undermine US leadership on the world stage to write the rules of the next generation economy.   “Nations like communist China, who does not share our democratic values, are seeking to develop world leading AI models through an authoritarian, military lens to export their command-and-control style of governance across the world.   “Yet within this emerging crisis, there’s an opportunity for our nation to correct course and grow job creating industries here at home.  “But to get there, we need more energy and we need it fast.  “The Department of Energy’s Berkeley Lab estimates that U.S. data center load growth alone is projected to double or triple by 2028.   “My district, home to over 86,000 manufacturing jobs, is keenly aware of the energy demands of industrial facilities.   “Unfortunately, misguided decisions of the Biden administration severely constrained our avenues to increase and strengthen energy production.  “The Clean Power Plan 2.0 is driving accelerated pre-mature retirements of baseload power.   “Permitting barriers for new natural gas pipeline infrastructure are handicapping regions of the country, such as the Northeast, that are desperate for energy.   “Meanwhile, subsidized intermittent energy resources and public policy decisions to favor renewable energy are flooding interconnection queues and making baseload power from coal, natural gas, and nuclear near uneconomic.   “Making a bad situation worse, generation developers continue experiencing ongoing supply chain constraints for distribution transformers and generation turbines.   “As we will hear today, House Republicans are not alone in raising the alarm.   “Today’s discussion will help illuminate the ways in which grid operators, utilities, and co-ops are all addressing these challenging dynamics to protect reliability and affordability while providing the opportunity to grow job creating industries.   “The witnesses before us will provide a wholistic view of the nation’s electricity system, the unique characteristics of each respective region of the country, and the challenges facing different grid governing regimes.   “PJM, the nation’s largest Regional Transmission Organization, which spans 13 states and Washington, D.C. including my home state of Ohio, organizes competitive wholesale markets to buy and sell electricity and monitors reliability standards across their multistate footprint.  “In the West, Basin Electric Co-operative members serve three million consumers across nine states, spanning both vertically integrated states and organized markets.   “Southern Company, a traditional vertically integrated utility, reliably serves customers across the southeast with a diverse portfolio of generating resources.   “I look forward to the discussion today about how each respective entity and region are confronting this new frontier of demand expansion.   “This committee will play an integral role in laying the groundwork to unlock the necessary capital investment for job creating industries, while ensuring affordable and reliable energy for American households and small businesses.   “Thank you and I yield back the balance of my time.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee markup . Chairman Guthrie's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Thank you all for being here for our first legislative markup of the 119th Congress. This Committee has a rich, bipartisan history, which we will continue in that spirit with the bills we are considering today. “Each of these bipartisan pieces of legislation was passed by the House last Congress, and I am proud that we will be moving these forward again today. “We must make sure that government stands ready to partner with innovators to continue promoting technological advancement.  “One bill proposed today will help improve wireless services for farmers utilizing precision agriculture. Another will work to improve American cybersecurity and protect our networks from bad actors. “Together, these bills can help to prepare our infrastructure to withstand cyber threats, while also ensuring our wireless infrastructure is calibrated to the needs of the 21st Century. “I thank the sponsors for their leadership and continued work getting these bills across the finish line. “We will also be continuing our work to shore up American supply chains and secure our critical infrastructure. Our adversaries are constantly launching threats to our supply chains, especially in critical industries, emphasizing the need for great resiliency. “Legislation like the Global Investment in American Jobs Act will help attract more investment in the United States, supporting our American workers. “Bolstering American manufacturing and reducing our reliance on China should be priorities for all of us, and I look forward to advancing legislation to do just that. “Next, we will consider legislation to protect Americans from potentially dangerous products and technologies.  “The Awning Safety Act of 2025 will instruct the CPSC to create a safety standard for fixed and freestanding awnings, in memory of Dr. Michael Hnat (NAT) who tragically lost his life in an awning accident. “I again want to thank all of the sponsors and advocates who helped us make this legislation the best it can be.  “I always say the work we do here in the House affects people in their homes, and I think that is on display with the bipartisan legislation we are considering today. “We have a lot more work to do this Congress, but I am proud that we are able to start with legislation that unites this Committee in securing American leadership and eliminating unnecessary risks to people’s safety. “I thank you all for your work, and I look forward to advancing these bills to the full House.” ###