Energy

Recently, Chairman Guthrie joined CERA week in Houston, TX, to discuss the Committee on Energy and Commerce's work to unleash reliable and affordable energy.

The trip provided the opportunity to hear directly from the job creators who are building and operating the energy infrastructure that Americans depend on. The conversations at CERA Week reinforced what’s been said during our hearings: that permitting delays and regulatory uncertainty are holding back the investment we need to support dispatchable, baseload power.

Meeting with industry leaders gave the Chairman the opportunity to discuss the challenges facing our grid in real time, from the lessons of Winter Storm Fern to the energy demand needed to ensure America continues to win the race for AI dominance and onshoring of advanced manufacturing.

The discussion also provided an opportunity to highlight House Republicans’ efforts to reduce energy costs and strengthen grid reliability. Throughout this Congress, Committee members have advanced commonsense legislation to address affordability, reform the permitting process, and prevent the premature retirement of baseload power plants that keep the lights on—around the clock, every day of the year—for millions of Americans.

Streamlining Permitting and Unleashing American Energy

H.R. 1047, the Guaranteeing Reliability through the Interconnection of Dispatchable Power (GRID Power) Act—Rep. Balderson (OH-12)

• The GRID Power Act provides Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators with the authority to prioritize projects in the interconnection queue that improve grid reliability and resiliency. By fortifying our grid with reliable sources of energy such as natural gas, coal, nuclear, and hydropower, we can reduce the risk of blackouts or brownouts and ensure we have the energy needed to meet our power demands.
  

H.R. 3062, the Promoting Cross-border Energy Infrastructure Act—Rep. Fedorchak (ND-AL)

• To secure our nation's energy dominance, House Republicans are fighting to streamline the cross-border permitting process. Establishing a more uniform process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities is vital to supporting the import and export of oil and natural gas as well as the transmission of electricity.
  

H.R. 3668, the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act—Rep. Hudson (NC-09)

• Under current law, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is designated as the lead agency for coordinating necessary environmental reviews and associated federal authorizations for interstate natural gas pipelines. Unfortunately, pipeline infrastructure approvals are often delayed due to a lack of coordination — or inaction — among states and other federal agencies involved in the process. In 2026, the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects natural gas demand to reach an all-time high. Now more than ever, it is critical we expand our natural gas pipeline capacity to meet that demand.

• This legislation modernizes the federal permitting process for interstate natural gas pipelines by bolstering FERC’s role as the lead agency for environmental reviews as the coordinator of Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality reviews. This legislation will help lower energy costs, provide natural gas to power our economy, and strengthen our nation's energy security.-
  

H.R. 1949, the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025—Rep. Pfluger (TX-11)

• The U.S. has emerged as the world’s number one producer of oil and natural gas and top exporter of LNG, contributing to domestic energy security, substantial economic benefits, and significant diplomatic leverage abroad. H.R. 1949 amends the Natural Gas Act to repeal all DOE restrictions on the import and export of natural gas, effectively overturning the Biden-Harris Administration's attempt to undermine U.S. domestic energy production.
  

H.R. 3109, the Researching Efficient Federal Improvements for Necessary Energy Refining (REFINER) Act—Rep. Latta (OH-05)

• Refinery expansion is key to lowering costs for Americans, unleashing our abundant energy, and bolstering our energy security. The REFINER Act would help ensure we can produce the reliable oil and gas needed to ensure American energy dominance.
  

Protecting Baseload Power and Grid Reliability

H.R. 3616, the Reliable Power Act—Rep. Balderson (OH-12)

• This legislation addresses the threat of rolling blackouts caused by the Biden-Harris Administration's over reliance on wind and solar power by improving federal rulemaking to ensure that future federal regulations that impact power generation will not harm electric reliability.

• The bill amends the Federal Power Act to require FERC review and comment on any federal rules that impact electricity generation during periods of high reliability risks, like the extreme cold we saw this winter, to ensure new rules will not harm electric power reliability.
  

H.R. 3632, the Power Plant Reliability Act—Rep. Griffith (VA-09)

• This legislation enhances existing tools for states and grid operators to contest the closure of power plants in neighboring states if there is an impact to grid reliability. The bill also requires power plants to provide a 5-year notice of any plans to retire.

• The states with the highest electricity prices are overwhelmingly the same states with the most aggressive forms of renewable portfolio standards, and this legislation will help to ensure that baseload power plants don't go offline in the places that need them most.
  

H.R. 3628, the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act—Rep. Evans (CO-08)

• This legislation would require state Public Utility Commissions to consider requirements for utilities to have sufficient generation from reliable and dispatchable energy sources, such as natural gas, nuclear, coal, and hydropower, over a 10-year period.

• The ongoing reliability crisis facing our nation stems from Democrat policies designed to drive out baseload generation in favor of intermittent wind and solar, harming our ability to onshore manufacturing and burdening households with higher costs.

• Running a grid on wind and solar is akin to paying for two parallel grids, in part, because these energy sources require backup resources when the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine. Residential ratepayers bear the financial burden of these choices.
  

H.R. 3015, the National Coal Council Reestablishment Act—Rep. Rulli (OH-06)

• Permanently reestablishing the National Coal Council supports the baseload power that can provide abundant, affordable, and reliable energy to communities across the United States.
  

Securing Supply Chains for America’s Energy Future

H.R. 3638, the Electric Supply Chain Act—Rep. Latta (OH-05)

• The bill would direct the Department of Energy to conduct periodic assessments of supply chain constraints or vulnerabilities that could impact the bulk power system.

• The Biden-Harris Administration’s misguided energy agenda furthered our reliance on adversarial nations like China for critical materials and manufacturing for wind turbines, solar panels, and grid components that are needed for intermittent generation resources.

• As our nation's electric system is under strain from premature retirements of baseload power and historic demand increases due to manufacturing growth and emerging technologies, we must ensure our federal government and policy makers are equipped with the necessary tools to protect the affordability and reliability of the bulk power system.
  

H.R. 3617, the Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act—Rep. James (MI-10)

• This legislation requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess critical energy resource supply chains and to strengthen the supply chains that are vulnerable to disruption or overreliance on adversarial nations.

• Energy supplies are the linchpin to U.S. global leadership in next generation technologies and industries, job growth in communities across the country, and a robust defense industrial base.

• Despite vast domestic natural resources, the United States remains heavily reliant on foreign adversaries for critical energy resources that are essential to our economic and national security. The U.S. is 100 percent reliant on imports for 12 critical minerals and 50 percent import reliant on an additional 28 critical minerals.
  

The Path Forward

The message from CERA Week was clear, America has the resources to lead the world in energy when burdensome regulations aren’t standing in the way. Chairman Guthrie and the Energy and Commerce Committee will continue advancing legislation that cuts red tape, protects reliable baseload generation, and ensures American families and job creators have access to the affordable, reliable power they need.

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, announced a hearing titled The Fiscal Year 2027 Department of Energy Budget.

“Under President Trump and Secretary Wright, the Department of Energy has worked hard to meet our nation’s energy needs, strengthen the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, protect against cyber attacks, secure our electric grid, and maintain the nation’s nuclear weapons deterrent,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “As we look ahead to 2027, it is essential we continue to fortify American energy dominance while lowering prices for hardworking families. This hearing will offer a chance for our Committee to discuss what steps we can take to produce and generate baseload power that is both reliable and affordable, while ensuring the Department of Energy continues to carry out its mission on behalf of the American people.”

Subcommittee on Energy hearing titled The Fiscal Year 2027 Department of Energy Budget.

WHAT: Subcommittee on Energy hearing to discuss the Department of Energy FY2027 Budget.

DATE: Thursday, April 16, 2026

TIME: 10:00 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 live streamed online at energycommerce.house.gov. If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Seth Ricketts with the Committee staff at Seth.Ricketts@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, led a letter along with 28 Republican members of the Committee to Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in support of the Trump Administration’s proposed rule to address the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.

The proposal from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is reversing the overreach created by standards issued by the Biden-Harris Administration and ensuring that families—not politicians—pick the car that best serves their needs.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s NHTSA established unlawful fuel economy standards that served as a de facto electric vehicle mandate,” said Chairman Guthrie. “The rule instituted aggressive fuel economy targets that could only be achieved through broad vehicle electrification, made improper assumptions on vehicle electrification, expressly considered ‘dedicated automobiles,’ and allowed consideration of the fuel economy credit program in establishing fuel economy standards.”

Key excerpt from the letter:

“In June 2025, NHTSA appropriately concluded that the previous Administration’s approach contradicted EPCA and exceeded the agency’s authority. NHTSA’s new proposal appropriately brings the CAFE program back in statutory compliance and aligns with congressional intent in establishing the program through setting achievable fuel economy targets, not picking winners and losers in the marketplace, and addressing credit trading.

“Even during a time when Americans were already struggling to afford groceries due to Biden-inflation, the Biden-Harris Administration plowed ahead with CAFE standards that were projected to increase the average cost of new motor vehicles. By contrast, your Department’s proposed standards are estimated to save American families approximately $109 billion over the next five years. Regulatory costs often price consumers out of newer vehicles, meaning fewer Americans would have access to new motor vehicle safety technologies. The current proposal is estimated to save more than 1,500 lives and prevent nearly 250,000 serious injuries by improving access to newer vehicles.”

BACKGROUND:

• The Biden Administration used the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to impose de-facto EV mandates, driving up prices and reducing options for American families.

• When drivers aren’t incentivized with taxpayer subsidized handouts to purchase an EV, their sales have plummeted. According to data from Cox Automotive, EVs totaled nearly 12% of the U.S. market in September, a record high. In January, that share dropped to 6%.

• By addressing fuel economy standards, President Trump and his administration are ensuring that Americans are not forced into purchasing costly EVs that they do not want to buy.

• By reducing costs and making newer, safer vehicles more affordable, this proposal is projected to save more than 1,500 lives and prevent nearly 250,000 serious injuries.

CLICK HERE to read the full letter.
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