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 American Energy Dominance: Dawn of the New Nuclear Era.

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

“Today’s hearing will examine the current state of the nuclear industry, the emerging prospects for the rapid and widespread deployment of new nuclear technologies, and what more may be done to enable success.

“The importance of successful growth of American nuclear energy cannot be understated.

“Most importantly, what we need in this country is more energy.

“We need firm, reliable power, versatile power, and more of it. We need power for emerging industrial output and the AI race—also for homes and businesses.

“A robust and growing nuclear industry also strengthens our national security. It does so through increased nuclear commerce with allies and through a more cost-effective industrial base.

“Congress has already taken significant steps that will optimize the regulatory system and related policies to assist in domestic nuclear deployment.

“The ADVANCE Act, major provisions of which were developed by Energy and Commerce Members, focused on licensing efficiency, reducing costs, and increasing predictability in Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing.

“It also provided for improved coordination among agencies and increasing access to nuclear technology for our allies. It increased the ability of allies to invest in American nuclear projects.

“Congress also enacted legislation to secure nuclear fuel supplies.

“It did so by providing funding to jump start work to develop advanced fuels and banning Russian fuels to create the market conditions that will incentivize new domestic fuel capacity.

“This legislative work builds upon other legislative measures concerning federal loan and credit programs, nuclear demonstrations, and technical support, and long-term liability protections for nuclear reactors.

_“Congress has established a strong framework for nuclear development for coming decades. How this is being implemented will be an important topic for this hearing. _

“By any measure, the prospects of expanded nuclear power in the United States have been improving dramatically in recent years.

“Consider that only five or six years ago, we were confronting a wave of nuclear retirements. Today, closed nuclear reactors are being restarted, and utilities are seeking to produce more power at existing sites.

“This Monday, NRC for the first time approved replacement of analog safety equipment with digital controls—which paves the way for modernizing safety controls across the fleet. This action, finally taken after years of regulatory churn, creates a template for other plants to seek NRC approval of digitization.

“There is growing interest in new builds for the large Westinghouse AP1000—the advanced light-water reactor brought on-line at Plant Vogtle in Georgia.

“And a growing number of advanced nuclear technologies are moving into or through the licensing pipeline.

“Major new players, including manufacturers, are providing support and financing for new projects.

“The Trump Administration, meanwhile, is also working to advance nuclear on a number of fronts.

“It is accelerating regulatory reforms—consistent with the ADVANCE Act—for more efficient, risk-informed licensing. It is working to bring in more foreign investment, accelerate innovative new technology demonstrations, and develop small reactors for military bases.

“How this is going and how it can work more effectively will also be a useful focus for this hearing.

“Our witnesses today will provide important perspective to help us assess what more may be necessary to ensure success.

“Maria Korsnick, President and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, a nuclear engineer, former chief nuclear officer and plant operator, will offer the broad industry view for what is necessary for advancing nuclear.

“John Williams, Senior Vice President of Southern Nuclear Operating Company, among other experience overseeing nuclear operations brings the perspective of having overseen the construction and operation of the first new nuclear units in 30 years.

“Judi Greenwald, President and CEO of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, will offer the views of a leading Washington nuclear policy organization, which informed some of our work on the ADVANCE Act.

“And, finally, John Wagner, Director of Idaho National Laboratory, will provide the perspective of the National Lab responsible for a substantial amount of nuclear research and development and what he sees across the landscape of nuclear policy today.

“The success of our work in Congress to advance durable nuclear deployment will depend on appropriate and efficient regulatory decisions, dependable supply chains and fuels, predictable construction and deployment costs, and, of course, market demand.

“This hearing can help us in our work.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a hearing titled American Energy Dominance: Dawn of the New Nuclear Era.

“The importance of the successful growth of the American nuclear energy industry cannot be understated.” said Chairman Latta. “We need firm, reliable power, versatile power, and more of it. We need power for emerging industrial output and the AI race—also for homes and businesses. A robust and growing nuclear industry also strengthens our national security. It does so through increased nuclear commerce with allies and through a more cost-effective industrial base.”

Watch the full hearing here.

Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12): “From the standpoint of our constituencies, these new nuclear facilities, how would they work out in the long run for our ratepayers?” Mr. Williams: “There are a lot of benefits of nuclear generation to our ratepayers. First and foremost, they're 24/7. They are baseload generation and capacity for our customers. They provide fuel stability and they have low operating costs. So, in our market, when our nuclear units are running, our customers are paying less for the electricity that they receive than they otherwise would.”

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01): “While our nuclear industry stagnated, as has been pointed out, China and Russia surged ahead, now accounting for 94% of reactors under construction worldwide. That competition isn't just about electricity, it's about American jobs, domestic manufacturing, exporting knowledge, equipment, and secure supply chains. We've watched critical skills atrophy and lost a generation of nuclear expertise. Rebuilding our nuclear energy industry means rebuilding the workforce, supply chains, and the industrial base that comes with it.”

Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11): “This hearing is very significant, because there's a race and that race is not just for AI, although that is extremely important, but the race is for an assortment of energy needs. That demand is going to continue to increase at an exponential rate, and that leads me to a question for Mr. Williams. Which utilities are seeing unprecedented load growth for data centers and how much regulatory certainty is needed before you can commit nuclear resources to continue to serve that load at scale?” Mr. Williams: “We are seeing tremendous load growth, especially in the southeast, and Southern Company is planning to meet that commitment. You know, we believe that preserving the option for new nuclear generation is important for our customers as we look for that. But we've got to mitigate the risks that are associated with that. We laid those out in our testimony today, and that's our focus. How do we mitigate those risks? Working through public-private partnerships, working with the customers, and making sure that we can do that. Because what we want to do is when we bring that data center on, we want to put downward pressure on rates for the rest of our customers. That's the model that we've established in Georgia, that's what we want to continue to do, and that's what we're focused on.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered remarks on the House floor regarding H.R. 4593, the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act, which codifies the definition of a showerhead to reduce regulatory whiplash and restore consumer choice.

Chairman Guthrie’s remarks on H.R. 4593, the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act:

“Under the previous administration, American consumers were subjected to Washington’s constant micromanagement of appliances and equipment in their homes and businesses.

“In fact, the Biden-Harris Administration finalized more than 30 new or amended energy efficiency standards, totaling over $60 billion in costs, and regulating nearly every appliance in American’s home.

“Part of this effort focused on complicating the definition of a showerhead by prohibiting multi-nozzle shower systems if the whole system collectively delivers more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute instead of following the straightforward statutory definition of showerhead.

“The new, highly bureaucratic definition was an amazing 13,000 words in length, and a novel interpretation. This resulted in shower systems with more than one nozzle having a lower flowrate compared to individual showerheads.

“Additionally, this definition is misleading to consumers looking to buy multi-nozzle shower systems for the purpose of increasing water flow.

“President Trump has taken executive action to restore the regulatory definitions and standards to the law’s original intent, by allowing a maximum water use of 2.5 gallons per minute for each faucet in a shower system.

“H.R. 4593 would codify President Trump’s definition by allowing the 2.5 maximum flow rate to apply to each nozzle in the shower system.

“This legislation will ensure manufacturers, like Delta Faucet in my district, are not subjected to the swing of the political pendulum, with ever-changing interpretations of the law.

“Further, this legislation is simple and pro-consumer choice. It is unfortunate that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are seeking more regulation for its own sake, limiting the choices of American consumers.

“If an individual wants lower water pressure, they have a variety of options. They can purchase a single nozzle showerhead, or they can simply turn down the faucet. It’s that simple.

“But those choices must be left to individual Americans, not Washington bureaucrats.

“H.R. 4593 would bring regulatory certainty to manufacturers, performance effectiveness to a household appliance we all use, and choice to American consumers.

“I urge my colleagues to support it and reserve 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, 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.