Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, released the following statement following the passage of H.R. 3062, the Promoting Cross-border Energy Infrastructure Act, H.R. 3015, the National Coal Council Reestablishment Act, and H.R. 1047, the GRID Power Act. “Today’s passage of H.R. 3062, H.R. 3015, and H.R. 1047 reflects the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s relentless work to secure American energy dominance. These bills streamline the permitting process for critical cross-border energy projects, restore expert advisory input from the coal industry that the Biden-Harris Administration eliminated, and ensure that electricity grid operators have the tools they need to secure the reliability of the bulk power system. With rising energy demand and growing threats to grid reliability, House Republicans are ensuring the U.S. has the tools to deliver affordable, abundant, and reliable energy,” said Chairman Guthrie. “Thank you to Congresswoman Fedorchak, Congressman Rulli, and Congressman Balderson for their tireless work to strengthen our grid and power our communities.”   H.R. 3062 passed the House by a vote of 224 to 203, H.R. 3015 passed the House by a vote of 217 to 209, and H.R. 1047 passed the House by a vote of 216 to 206.  “Republicans are delivering on our promise to strengthen the grid, create American jobs, and lower energy costs for American families,” said Speaker Johnson. “This week, House Republicans passed three pieces of key legislation to build on the energy provisions within the historic Working Families Tax Cuts and codify President Trump’s Executive Orders to unleash American energy. As Democrats continue to push radical, job-killing, impossible-to-attain green agendas – Republicans are focused on real solutions that grow the economy and put American workers first. Together with President Trump, Republicans in Congress are helping pave the way for a return to American energy dominance.”   “The Keystone XL pipeline should have never been cancelled. Yet on his first day in office, President Biden used the stroke of a pen to shut it down,” said Congresswoman Fedorchak. “By passing my legislation, the House has taken a critical step to end years of regulatory uncertainty and partisan games that have delayed energy infrastructure projects, crushed good-paying jobs, and undermined America’s energy security.” “For decades, the National Coal Council was a powerful voice for coal and a tireless champion for American workers and communities. Coal has reliably fueled our factories, powered our homes, and helped build the greatest economy the world has ever known – it’s ridiculous to neglect it,” said Congressman Rulli. “We need common-sense energy policies that keep coal in the mix, strengthen our grid, and protect good-paying jobs. Codifying the National Coal Council into law ensures that politics doesn’t get in the way of good policy. I’m grateful to House leadership and my colleagues for voting to restore this vital council and secure America’s energy future.”   “With American power demand far outpacing our ability to generate more electricity, our grid is heading toward a reliability crisis,” said Congressman Balderson . “The interconnection queue is overwhelmed and bogged down, leaving shovel-ready power projects waiting for years while demand continues to climb. The GRID Power Act clears the path for the most critical projects, giving grid operators the tools they need to add more dispatchable baseload power—lowering costs for households and businesses while keeping America’s grid reliable.” Background on H.R. 3062, Promoting Cross-border Energy Infrastructure Act: The expansion of cross-border energy transportation infrastructure—pipelines for oil and natural gas and electric transmission lines—is necessary to ensure our nation’s energy dominance and safeguard our national security. H.R. 3062 replaces the Presidential permit requirement with a more transparent and effective review process by authorizing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to review applications for cross-border oil and natural gas pipelines, and the Department of Energy to review applications for cross-border transmission facilities. Background on H.R. 3015, National Coal Council Establishment Act: This legislation makes the National Coal Council permanent by removing requirements under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to re-charter every two years, therefore preventing future administrations from disbanding this essential council. While the United States is projected to increase electricity demands by 151 GW over the next ten years, coal fired units are pre-maturely retiring at an alarming rate. Premature retirements of coal fired units are largely driven by federal and state policies designed to intentionally attack their financial viability. Background on H.R.1047, GRID Power Act: The GRID Power Act provides Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators with authority to prioritize energy projects that are ready to bring more baseload power onto the grid immediately, improving grid reliability and resiliency and helping to meet the demand of industrial and household customers alike. Expediting resources that advance reliability provides grid operators with additional tools to re-balance the grid’s resource mix to keep the lights on at affordable prices for all Americans and reverse the legacy effects of the Biden-Harris energy policies that continue to drive prices higher.  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C . – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s legislative hearing on reforming appliance and building policies to lower costs and promote consumer choice. “Welcome to today’s legislative hearing, ‘Appliance and Buildings Policies: Restoring the American Dream of Home Ownership and Consumer Choice.’ “Today, we will hear from the Department of Energy and industry stakeholders as we consider 8 bills seeking to address consumer choice, appliance and home affordability, reckless federal building policies, and duplicative regulatory structures. “Many policies pushed over the last several years have raised prices for all consumers, strained our nation’s grid, and yielded little to no benefit for Americans. “That is why the subcommittee will discuss legislation that would have a massive impact on the day-to-day necessities on which American families and businesses rely. “During last week’s hearing, Jim Steffes of Washington Gas said it well when discussing gas bans: “The idea that we are going to push the gas back down the power wire and use it in a less efficient manner than you would use it at home is absolutely going to raise prices.” “Importantly, one of the bills we have on the hearing today, the bipartisan Energy Choice Act will prohibit state or local governments from adopting policies that ban access to an energy service based on the fuel that is sold. This includes building performance standards and codes that act as de facto gas bans. “The Homeowner Energy Freedom Act will repeal the funding included in the IRA which bribed states to adopt the 2021 IECC model code. Today, we will hear first-hand testimony of the chilling effect that has had on home building in those states. “Duplicative standards for manufactured housing have also decreased production of affordable, new housing. As home ownership continues to be a top issue for millions of Americans, we must remove regulatory red tape that has restricted options for families. “The anti-fossil fuel agenda does not stop with state and local laws—federal policies like the required phase out of fossil fuel use in federal buildings could jeopardize our national security. “The Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act will repeal this inappropriate policy, and the bipartisan Federal Mechanical Insulation Act will refocus evaluations for federal buildings on the potential for implementing true energy efficiency measures, like the installation of mechanical insulation. “The legislation before us today is focused on restoring consumer choice—especially for America’s working families. The misguided and duplicative policies from the previous administration hit them the hardest because they (1) price out first-time homebuyers; (2) destroy appliance affordability through steep upfront and installation costs; or (3) discourage the production of affordable, manufactured homes through regulatory morass. “The Don’t Mess with my Home Appliances Act will make much-needed statutory reforms to energy efficiency standards for appliances, which have increased in cost while deteriorating in performance because of overregulation. “Lastly, the SHOWER Act will codify a commonsense definition of a showerhead, improving water pressure for those who desire that choice. “We also have included, at our Democratic colleagues’ request, legislation by the gentleman from New York’s 20th district on DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program. While I have concerns with this bill, as introduced, we are willing to work with our Democratic colleagues to see if we can reach a compromise. “Altogether, the majority of the bills before us today represent an opportunity for this Committee to refocus energy efficiency policies on true energy savings, whether reflected in the cost of an appliance or their utility bills, for hard-working American families. “Thank you to our panels of witnesses for your participation.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a legislative hearing on reforming appliance and building policies in order to reduce costs for American families and promote consumer choice. “Today’s hearing was a victory for Americans who have struggled due to the red tape and regulations created by the Biden-Harris Administration. It’s time to put an end to bureaucratic hurdles that have raised costs and limited choices for working families,” said Chairman Latta. “The legislation our committee discussed will help to reduce energy costs, support consumer choice, and strengthen our electrical grid.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12): “The Don't Mess With My Home Appliances Act, which implements necessary reforms to the Energy Policy Conservation Act, to prevent future administrations from issuing burdensome standards on household appliances that would drive up costs and reduce availability. Let's be clear, folks back home want to know why? Why the cost of replacing their air conditioning has increased more than three times in less than five years? And that includes appliances that don't work. I'm glad that we're here to discuss the provisions in my bill.” Congressman Russell Fry (SC-07) : “When I ran for Congress, I never thought that I'd be dealing with these issues. But during the last administration, we saw a complete war on energy production. My legislation, the SHOWER Act, restores common sense by clarifying the definition of a shower head to reflect established industry standards, ensuring that families have access to products that work while still maintaining efficiency where appropriate. This is about protecting homeowners from bureaucratic overreach at its very core.” Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23): “In my home state of New York, families and businesses are being crushed under the weight of Albany's reckless energy mandates. Beginning January 1st of next year, a statewide ban on natural gas hookups in new construction goes into effect, the first of its kind in the entire nation. State leaders have declared war on natural gas and propane, stripping away consumer choice and driving up costs at a time that people can least afford it. These policies aren't just misguided, they're downright dangerous. During Winter Storm Elliot, more than 60, almost 70 New Yorkers froze to death, many in their own homes when the power went out. If this mandate had been in place, forcing families to rely only on the electrical grid, we wouldn't have been looking at dozens of deaths. We'd be into the hundreds, if not the thousands. Mr. Tebbenkamp, from your perspective as a home builder, what are the real world consequences of forcing new homes to rely solely on electricity, both for construction costs and for residents safety during power outages, during extreme weather?” Mr. Tebbenkamp: “I would say it's extremely dangerous. Going all electric raises the cost and limits efficient heating in certain areas of the country...If they were completely reliant on electricity for their home, then as the house cools over a few days there's nothing else they can do. And then you're going to see people probably doing things that are not the smartest in order to try and keep their families warm. That will end up most likely costing families their lives.”

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.