Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Keeping the Lights On: Examining the State of Regional Grid Reliability . Subcommittee Chairman Latta’s opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Welcome to today’s hearing ‘Keeping the Lights on: Examining the State of Regional Grid Reliability.’ “Today, we will continue this subcommittee’s work to address the ongoing electric reliability crisis facing our nation. “The witnesses before us are each of the regional grid operators, and ERCOT, who collectively cover two thirds of our country.  “These organizations are charged with overseeing reliability of their state or region, administering markets for the sale and purchase of electricity products, and coordinating transmission development.  “While each grid operator functions in a similar manner, they all take unique approaches to addressing the regional and demographic differences of communities in their footprints.  “But no matter where in the country they serve, they are all confronting the challenges facing our power sector.  “It’s no secret that our country is in the midst of a reliability crisis, and it could not come at a worse time.  “The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, recently stated that 52 GW of generation will retire in the next four years. “To put this into context, that is the rough equivalent of 40 nuclear plants or 500 square miles of solar panels. “While dangerous amounts of baseload generation are leaving the grid, we’re witnessing historic levels of demand entering the system and interconnection queues that are backlogged with intermittent resources and battery storage facilities.  “We know that renewables are not a one-for-one replacement for dispatchable, baseload power that is essential to reliability and provides spinning reserves needed to stabilize the system through fluctuations.  “It is not clear that the pace at which baseload generation is coming online will bridge the gap of retiring supply and meet increasing demands over the next few short years.  “As we are all well aware, these new demands are largely driven by developments in artificial intelligence and domestic manufacturing. “Achieving a leadership position in the development of AI and reshoring domestic manufacturing is not an unattainable goal to strive for – it is a national security imperative that could shape America’s place in the future global economy.  “Regional grid operators before us today are on the front lines of the reliability crisis and this new era of historic electricity demand. “When operating correctly, electricity markets should allow clear market signals to drive investment into new generation, efficient interconnection of new resources should address increasing demand, and coordinated transmission planning should bring needed electricity supplies to growing load centers.  “However, these organizations and their electricity markets do not operate in a vacuum.  “Excessive federal overreach, like the Clean Power Plan 2.0, drove significant premature retirements of baseload power and discouraged long-term investment into baseload generation sources.  “Significant subsidies for intermittent generation undermine the economics of baseload, or on-demand, dispatchable, generation resources that are essential to keeping the lights on.  “These grid operators are also tasked with the difficult job of maintaining reliability and resource adequacy as States implement restrictive policies designed to attack fossil resources.  “Because of the interconnected nature of much of our bulk power system, the decisions of one State to drive out baseload power inherently impact the reliability of neighboring states.  “All of these problems are compounded by systemic permitting challenges that make it nearly impossible to develop new infrastructure in large parts of our country.  “Markets cannot build what governments do not let them.  “We need to address these challenges through a pragmatic whole of government approach that recognizes the benefits of different fuel sources, the limitation of others, and prioritizes energy expansion. “There is value to ensuring a diverse resource mix, but it is important to recognize that not all electrons should be treated equally.  “The variability of intermittent sources like wind and solar innately require back up generation during inclement weather conditions and where battery storage facilities are operationally restricted.  “Often it is during these periods of inclement weather when we need electricity the most to protect the health and safety of our communities.  “I look forward to today’s discussion regarding the ongoing reliability crisis and the important steps regional grid operators are taking to correct market inefficiencies to keep the lights on for all Americans.  “Thank you and I yield back the balance of my time.”  ###

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 Keeping the Lights On: Examining the State of Regional Grid Reliability . “The continued safety and reliability of our electric grid is essential to supporting small businesses, manufacturing processes, the agriculture industry, hospitals, and homes across the United States. Numerous electric-generating facilities have been prematurely retired in recent years, making it critical that we look for solutions to once again harness and expand the baseload power our communities rely on as new and emerging technologies increase the need,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “During this hearing, we will have the opportunity to hear from our nation’s regional grid operators and to discuss how we can meet the growing demand for power, the need to secure it, and address the reliability challenges confronting our electric industry.”  Subcommittee on Energy hearing titled Keeping the Lights On: Examining the State of Regional Grid Reliability.   WHAT : Subcommittee on Energy hearing examining how the nation’s regional grid operators plan to address grid reliability challenges, as demand for power increases across the nation. DATE : Tuesday, March 25, 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.  – 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.  – 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.

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) today sent letters to five independent federal agencies urging the Biden-Harris administration appointees to abandon partisan efforts and instead focus remaining efforts on bipartisan, consensus items.   The letters state, “The results of the 2024 presidential election are now apparent and leadership of the [agency] will soon change. As a traditional part of the peaceful transfer of power, the [agency] should immediately stop work on any partisan or controversial item under consideration, consistent with applicable law and regulation.”    Click below to read each agency’s letter:   Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Federal Communications Commission (FCC)   Federal Trade Commission (FTC)   Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)   Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Note: In the letter, Chair Rodgers urges NRC to continue timely implementation of the ADVANCE Act.