Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman John James (MI-10) celebrated House passage of legislation advanced by the Committee on Energy and Commerce to strengthen America’s energy supply chains, reduce reliance on adversarial nations, and safeguard the resources essential to our economy and national security.

H.R. 3617, the Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act, requires the Department of Energy to assess critical energy resource supply chains, including critical minerals and rare earth elements, and to strengthen supply chains that are vulnerable to disruption or overreliance on adversarial nations. By taking a holistic view of critical energy resources, the Department of Energy can identify vulnerabilities and address supply chain disruptions to help ensure Americans have access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy systems.

“Keeping our nation strong and secure means having access to reliable and affordable energy. Right now, the technologies that power our grid rely on critical minerals produced and controlled by adversarial nations,” said Chairman Guthrie. “To address this crucial issue, the House passed the Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act, which strengthens the Department of Energy’s support for critical energy resource supply chains, which are vital to keeping the lights on for American families and powering U.S. industrial facilities. Thank you to Congressman James for his leadership on this important legislation.”

“This bill is a bold step toward ensuring the United States leads in energy innovation, security, and independence, and I’m thrilled to see it pass the House. We cannot be the ‘land of the free’ if we choose to rely on critical mineral supply chains that are dependent on child and slave labor,” said Rep. James. “This is about unleashing American energy, powering our factories, fueling innovation, and securing our future. It’s a massive step towards building an energy-independent America and putting an end to overreliance on adversaries, dictators, and despots around the world.”

BACKGROUND:

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 16 critical minerals and 50 percent import reliant on an additional 50 vital mineral commodities;
• China maintains 60 percent of the world’s production of rare earth elements and 90 percent of their global processing capacity.

In recent years, adversarial nations like China have sought to exploit U.S. vulnerabilities, issuing export bans on key minerals, materials, and resources that are essential to both our manufacturing and defense industry.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s markup of five bills.

Subcommittee Chairman Latta’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

“Today the Energy Subcommittee will mark up five bills that will update and enhance programs to help ensure the physical and cyber security of our nation’s electric grid.

“These bills, two of which we have moved through the Committee in past Congresses with strong bi-partisan support, also strengthen the Department of Energy’s ability to carry out its energy emergency functions.

“At our legislative hearing three weeks ago, witnesses emphasized the importance of robust collaboration between industry, states, and the federal government to ensure secure energy systems.

“These bills will strengthen this work by enhancing DOE’s existing energy sector authorities and by providing new tools to ensure fuller industry involvement.

“We consider these bills today against the backdrop of growing threats to our energy systems—including advanced threats from our adversaries.

“As noted in recent hearings, Communist China remains the most active and persistent threat to American critical infrastructure networks. Its proxies have pre-positioned attack capabilities in American infrastructure, to be used during a major crisis or conflict.

“Addressing these and related threats is difficult and can be resource intensive.

“The interconnected nature of our energy systems requires constant intelligence sharing, clear visibility into threat landscapes, and sufficient resources to fill gaps in security protections, particularly for rural and small utility service territories.

“The bills we will consider today take important steps to accomplish this and more.

“H.R. 7305, the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026, led by the gentlelady from Florida’s fourteenth congressional district and the gentleman from Colorado’s eighth congressional district, authorizes a program that improves information sharing and coordination on threat analyses that impact the power sector.

“A key ingredient of this program involves two-way sharing of information between grid operators and the intelligence community to their mutual benefit: improving the ability to assess risks and threats and then how to act upon that information.

“H.R. 7258, the Energy Emergency Leadership Act, led by the gentlelady from Florida’s fifteenth congressional district and the gentleman from Ohio’s first congressional district, represents long-time bipartisan policy of this Committee to strengthen the ability of DOE to carry out its energy sector security and emergency functions.

“The bill requires the energy emergency and security functions at DOE are led by an Assistant Secretary, confirmed by the Senate. This will ensure the Department has the focused and accountable leadership that will strengthen intergovernmental and energy sector collaboration.

“H.R. 7266, the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, led by the gentlelady from Iowa’s first congressional district and the gentlelady from Virginia’s fourth congressional district, provides targeted funding and technical assistance so small utilities, electric co-operatives, and public power agencies have the resources to secure their critical electric systems—including systems serving military installations.

“Of course, as we heard during our legislative hearing, States are critical to energy security. They have unique visibility into the interconnected relationships, risks and vulnerabilities related to the energy systems within their borders.

“H.R. 7257, the SECURE Grid Act, which I sponsored with my colleague from California’s seventh congressional district, builds upon the existing State Energy Security Plan framework to expand the visibility of potential threats to local electric distribution and supply chain networks.

“Finally, as the Sector Risk Management Agency for the energy sector, DOE must have visibility over the whole energy sector, which as we heard in the legislative hearing is comprised of increasingly interconnected systems.

“Because of this, DOE actively works not only with the power sector, but also the oil and gas sector to prepare and respond appropriately to emergencies.

“DOE’s technical capabilities and central role in Federal energy coordination make it well positioned to improve the complex layers of communication necessary for energy sector security.

“H.R. 7272, the Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act, led by the Subcommittee Vice Chairman from Texas’s fourteenth congressional district and the gentlelady from Michigan’s sixth congressional district, does just this.

“It builds on DOE’s leadership to establish a non-regulatory program to improve the coordination and other assistance across the energy sector, states, and the federal government with regard to the security and resilience of pipelines and other facilities that deliver the nation’s oil and gas—and are necessary for reliable energy and power.

“All told, these bills advance the important bipartisan work of this Subcommittee to protect critical energy infrastructure.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a markup of five bills.

“Today the Energy Subcommittee marked up five bills that will update and enhance programs to help ensure the physical and cyber security of our nation’s energy infrastructure, including our electric grid,” said Chairman Latta. “These bills, two of which we have moved through the Committee in past Congresses with strong bipartisan support, also strengthen the Department of Energy’s ability to carry out its energy emergency functions.”

Legislative Vote Summary:

• H.R. 7258, Energy Emergency Leadership Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 7266, Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, was forwarded to the Full Committee, as amended, by a voice vote.
• H.R. 7257, Securing Community Upgrades for a Resilient Grid (SECURE Grid) Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 7272, Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.
• H.R. 7305, Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026, was forwarded without amendment to the Full Committee by a voice vote.

Watch the full markup here.

Below are key excerpts from today’s markup:

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) on H.R. 7266, the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act: “Cyber-attacks targeting critical infrastructure have become more sophisticated and frequent. This bill ensures that rural electric cooperatives and small utilities have access to advanced cybersecurity tools, technical assistance, and grant funding to protect, detect, respond to, and recover from cyber threats. In Iowa’s First District, rural electric cooperatives serve ratepayers across our 20 counties. These cooperatives faced the same sophisticated cyber threats as major metropolitan systems but often lack the resources to defend against them. This bill ensures our local utilities have the tools they need to protect the grid that powers our homes, farms, and small businesses.”

Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14) on H.R. 7272, the Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act: “H.R. 7272 would improve how the Department of Energy works with others to ensure the security and resilience of pipelines, as well as LNG facilities that our energy sector depends upon for the reliable supply of fuels and electricity. This legislation focuses on the Department of Energy’s vast technical capabilities to develop a program that improves the coordination and technical support needed to ensure timely, efficient, and effective work to secure our energy systems and respond to disruptions.”

Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08) on H.R. 7305, the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026: “It’s essential that we reauthorize ETAC. Chinese Communist Party-backed hacker groups like Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon have already embedded themselves in networks within critical infrastructure, and they’re operating at times undetected. Small towns and rural areas quite often don’t have the resources and the infrastructure to prevent attacks like this and are left with massive disruptions and costs when an attack occurs. These hackers are lying in wait, ready to disrupt key energy systems that are crucial to daily life, including domestic production and military readiness. The preventative work that ETAC does protects communities and our national security from attacks like these.”

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, sent a letter to Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), highlighting the IEA’s decision to restore the inclusion of objective data analysis in the World Energy Outlook (WEO). By bringing back the Current Policies Scenario (CPS) in the report, the IEA is returning to its core mission and working to promote energy security. “Strengthening our nation’s energy security is vital to securing our grid, powering AI and domestic manufacturing, and ensuring that Americans have the energy resources they need,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “For the last several years, IEA forecasts incorrectly assumed the peak demand for oil and natural gas would come before 2030. As a result, these forecasts deterred investments by painting an inaccurate picture of what energy markets will need in the future. By finally standing up to activist pressure opposing the use of oil and natural gas to power our economy, the IEA will once again be able to provide the unbiased market forecasts decision makers rely on to provide reliable and affordable energy into the future.”   Key excerpts from the letter:   “Maintaining objective data analysis, free from activism, is imperative. The IEA has long stood as an invaluable source of unbiased data and analysis on the security of oil markets. The agency’s work carries significant weight for policymakers, the energy industry, and global financial firms. “Yet in 2020, the IEA, under pressure from climate activists eager to exploit the agency’s credibility to discourage oil and gas investment, abandoned its longstanding CPS, and began only publishing WEOs that relied on subjective scenarios that assumed different degrees of adherence to climate action agreements. These aggressive Stated Policies Scenarios (STEPS), rely heavily on policy aspirations, while ignoring market realities. “In the United States alone, oil and natural gas account for about 74 percent of the primary energy sources consumed every year, with natural gas accounting for approximately 43 percent of electric power generation. Due to artificial intelligence and other technologies, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts significant natural gas demand growth over the next several years. As you know, the EIA maintains the use of a policy-neutral baseline reference case. “Politicized and censored demand scenarios can distort policy decisions and misguide capital investment. Just last year, the Biden-Harris Administration leveraged these questionable IEA projections, while ignoring EIA data, to support banning liquefied natural gas export projects. This decision discouraged sufficient capital allocation toward critical energy supplies and emboldened Russia’s war machine.”   CLICK HERE to read the full letter. ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Yesterday, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, along with Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, penned a letter to Secretary Jennifer Granholm questioning the Department of Energy’s involvement in the Biden-Harris Administration’s decision to prevent new offshore oil and gas production, leading to higher prices for consumers and harming U.S. energy security. KEY LETTER EXCERPT: “Closing off swaths of U.S. offshore areas to energy production, as the Biden-Harris Administration reportedly intends to do, will lead to higher energy prices for American families, the loss of American jobs, and greatly diminish our country’s energy security. As the Secretary of Energy, you have an obligation to weigh in on this matter and insist on a full review of the energy security and economic impacts before any decisions are finalized. “The United States stands at an energy crossroads, facing mounting global security threats and soaring demand for power. Instead of leading the world in energy production, we’ve allowed misguided “green” policies to hamstring our potential. It’s time to unleash American energy dominance again—the federal government must become an ally, not an obstacle, to our nation’s energy security. We look forward to your prompt response to this request, no later than January 10, 2025.” Read the story  here . BACKGROUND: This morning, the Biden Administration announced that more than 625 million square miles of coastline would be off-limits for energy production. Republican Members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have continuously called on the Biden-Harris Administration to end its attack on American energy production before leaving office on January 20th. The letter requests an explanation of the DOE’s involvement in the decision and whether the White House or the Department of Interior consulted with the DOE about the plans to close off access to offshore resources. Any decision to shut down access to significant American energy resources impacts U.S. energy policy and should be reviewed by the DOE. The Biden Administration’s energy policies have continued to create major harm to America’s energy production and workforce. A unilateral ban on energy production in large swaths of the U.S. coastline will have lasting impacts on American energy production and security.

“DOE is threatening domestic jobs and economic development, weakening the energy security of European allies, and strengthening our adversaries” Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC), and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) sent a letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm demanding the agency stop rushing to prematurely release its anti-liquefied natural gas (LNG) study, which aims to hamstring the incoming Presidential administration. The letter also calls for DOE to lift the pause on LNG exports, which was a politically motivated decision by the Biden administration to appease radical environmental activists at the expense of American energy security and the security of our allies. KEY LETTER EXCERPTS: “Despite DOE’s prior findings and published reviews in favor of U.S. LNG exports, and contrary to DOE’s limited statutory authority under the NGA, the Biden administration’s DOE announced that it would expand its environmental review as part of a ‘managed transition’ to reduce use of fossil fuels. Recent press reports indicate that DOE is racing to complete a study on the climate impacts of LNG exports to hamper the incoming Republican administration and provide opportunities to challenge future project approvals in court.” [...] “ The results of the 2024 presidential election are clear, and DOE leadership will soon change. As a traditional part of the peaceful transfer of power, DOE should immediately stop work on any plans to expand the scope of review or add new conditions to LNG export licenses. DOE should immediately lift the ban on LNG export approvals in compliance with the NGA and the District Court order.” BACKGROUND: January 26, 2024 : The Biden administration announces indefinite “pause” on LNG export permits. Chair Rodgers immediately rebukes the decision, calling it a “gift to Putin.” February 5, 2024 : More than 150 House Republicans demand President Biden ends his de facto ban on American LNG exports. February 15, 2024 : E&C Republicans lead bipartisan passage of H.R. 7176 to reverse President Biden’s LNG export ban. April 8, 2024 : The Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security holds a field hearing in Port Arthur, Texas, with local leaders and energy workers to highlight the economic and public benefits of American energy production, including job creation. November 7, 2024 : Bloomberg Law reports that the “Biden administration is racing to complete a study that could complicate President-Elect Donald Trump’s plan to immediately approve new liquefied natural gas export terminals.” CLICK HERE to read the full letter.