Rep. Bob Latta

R

Ohio – District 5
representative

Leadership

Chairman Energy

119th Congress

News & Announcements

May 1, 2025
Press Release

Subcommittee on Energy Holds Legislative Hearing to Support Abundant and Reliable Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a hearing titled Assuring Abundant, Reliable American Energy to Power Innovation :   “The prosperity and security of our nation has always been linked to abundant, reliable, and affordable energy,” said Chairman Latta. “Today’s challenges are no different – we need reliable and affordable energy to fuel developments in artificial intelligence, reshore domestic manufacturing facilities, support the agricultural industry, and lower costs for hardworking Americans.”    Watch the full hearing here .    Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:   Congresswoman Miller-Meeks (IA-01):   “Most importantly, we have to pass thoughtful legislation that prioritizes affordability, abundance, reliability, and security. Dr. Goff, the Securing America's critical mineral Supply Act builds on the Department of Energy’s current efforts. Could you elaborate on the landscape critical minerals for the committee, which resources are most critical to energy supply and who supplies them and what actions the DOE is taking to secure these supply chains?”   Dr. Goff:   “Well, first, I think the present bill we’re looking at, the supply chain for critical minerals is a good step. It's doing an assessment, looking at vulnerabilities and looking at how we need to move forward.”   Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12):   “In your testimony, you discuss the work you're doing to strengthen American supply chain, increase the production of domestic resources and approved permits for energy projects. As you're working to expand our energy systems, do you think it makes sense that we're also focusing on the reliability of the electric grid to ensure constituents have access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy to keep the lights on?”  Dr. Goff: “ Yes, it's critical that we maintain the grid to be able to get that power to the different communities, to the people, to the businesses as well. And a lot of those businesses, especially as we talked more and more about AI are requiring it to be very firm, reliable power delivered 24/7.”   Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (ND-AL):  “ We do want to make sure that the American people do have affordable, reliable and secure electricity. But alongside the American people, AI is critical for our economy as well as for our national security. We want to make sure that we have those capabilities on shore in the US. They're all very critical, and that's why we do have a major focus on addition as opposed to subtraction. We've got to make sure that we move forward on all energy technologies to make sure that we can try to meet all of those different goals.”   ###

Apr 30, 2025
Hearings

Chairman Latta Delivers Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Energy Hearing on Assuring Reliable and Abundant American 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  Assuring Abundant, Reliable American Energy to Power Innovation. Subcommittee Chairman Latta's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Welcome to today’s legislative hearing Assuring Abundant, Reliable American Energy to Power Innovation. “Today, we will hear from representatives of the Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and industry stakeholders as we consider 14 bills that span the needs of our energy sector.  “The legislation before us seeks to address systemic issues that are holding back our country’s economic and technological potential.  “The prosperity and security of our nation has always been linked to abundant, reliable, and affordable energy.  “Today’s challenges are no different – we need reliable and affordable energy to fuel developments in artificial intelligence, reshore domestic manufacturing facilities, support the agricultural industry, and lower costs for hardworking Americans.  “All the while, abundant energy resources can reduce the influence of adversarial nations like Communist China, protect against foreign subterfuge, and support our allies abroad. “This year, our Energy subcommittee has heard extensive testimony from grid operators, utilities and co-ops, energy sector experts, and leaders in the AI community regarding the needs of our energy industry. “Simply put – we need more energy, and we need it fast, to put the country back on a path towards prosperity. Many of the bills before us today will do just that.  “At our recent hearing with all 7 regional grid operators, we heard about the growing reliability crisis being caused by federal policies, like the Clean Power Plan 2.0, that are driving out baseload power and threatening the reliability of the grid. “This sentiment is shared by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, who have been raising red alarms about the growing reliability crisis for the last five years.  “Importantly, the Reliable Power Act will task FERC as a rightful reliability watchdog against unreasonable government overreach.  “We know that dispatchable generating resources provide the necessary stability, inertia, and spinning mass to maintain frequency and voltage support of the electric system.  “The GRID Power Act will ensure these resources are prioritized and added to the system in a timely manner. “As we have also heard from regional grid operators and the experts in the power sector, misguided States’ actions that limit dispatchable resources are having an outsized impact in the growing reliability crisis. “Two bills under consideration today, the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act and the Reliability Protection for States Act, will encourage States to take a greater role in protecting reliability and affordability and hold States accountable for the impacts of policies that could undermine an efficient electric system.  “Additionally, this committee has continued to observe supply chain constraints for critical grid components that are slowing generation development at a time where demand is projected to skyrocket.  “The Electric Supply Chain Act, which I intend to introduce, takes a proactive approach to identifying and addressing emerging issues that affect the power sector.  I know my staff has reached out to Minority staff about working on this bill together.  I hope that one of my Democratic colleagues will join me in the effort. “Similarly, I know that Republican staff has offered to work with Democratic staff on the Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act, and even have a Democratic Member lead on the bill.  We hope to find bipartisanship together to preserve this important generating resource. “Alongside these efforts, several bills under consideration today will improve federal permitting processes to unleash our abundant natural resources and fuel economic development.  “At our hearing with a local representative from the pipefitters union and oil and gas industry earlier this year, we heard about the economic benefits of energy infrastructure development and family sustaining careers for union brothers and sisters. “Consideration of the Improving Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act and the Promoting Cross-Border Energy Infrastructure Act could greatly improve our permitting processes and ensure that our nation can lead in the next generation economy.  “Given our nation’s role as the premier energy producer on the global stage, the Unlocking Domestic LNG Potential Act will unleash exports to support our allies and leverage American energy dominance to advance our national interests.  “We also have included, at our Democratic colleagues’ request, legislation from my Ranking Member colleague on the interconnection queue. While I may not agree with everything in the bill presently, I look forward to working with the gentlelady from Florida to see if we can land on an agreeable position. “Altogether, the bills before us today represent an opportunity for this committee to refocus the federal government’s approach to the energy sector to ensure abundant, reliable, and affordable energy to power innovations of the future.  “The nation and world are safer when the United States is energy dominant.  “I yield back the balance of my time.” ###

Apr 23, 2025
Press Release

Chairmen Guthrie and Latta Announce an Energy Subcommittee Legislative Hearing on Assuring Reliable and Abundant American Energy

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 Assuring Abundant, Reliable American Energy to Power Innovation . “Our nation is at an energy crossroads. It’s clear that securing our electric grid and powering AI will require abundant and reliable energy for decades to come,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “Over the past several months, our Committee has heard from energy producers, grid operators, and experts on AI that have discussed the need to produce more baseload power. This legislative hearing offers us the chance to discuss specific policy proposals to help achieve this goal and ensure American energy dominance.”   Subcommittee on Energy hearing titled Assuring Abundant, Reliable American Energy to Power Innovation   WHAT : Subcommittee on Energy hearing to discuss legislation that would help our nation create affordable and reliable energy in order to maintain our grid and power new technologies.  DATE : Wednesday, April 30, 2025        TIME :  10:15 AM ET  LOCATION : 2123 Rayburn House Office Building    This hearing will focus on the following bills: H.R. ____ , Reliable Power Act H.R. 1047 , GRID Power Act (Rep. Balderson) H.R. ____ , Power Plant Reliability Act of 2025 H.R. ____ , Electric Supply Chain Act H.R. ____ , Reliability Protection for States Act H.R. ____ , State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act  H.R. ____ , Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act H.R. ____ , National Coal Council Reestablishment Act H.R. ____ , Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act  H.R. ____ , Researching Efficient Federal Improvements for Necessary Energy Refining Act (REFINER) Act H.R. ____ , Promoting Cross-Border Energy Infrastructure Act  H.R. 1949 , Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025 (Rep. Pfluger) H.R. ____ , Improving Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act H.R. ____ , Expediting Generator Interconnection Procedures Act of 2025   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 .   ###

Letters

Jan 6, 2025
Press Release

Chairman Guthrie and Chairman Latta Question Energy Department’s Involvement in Biden-Harris Offshore Drilling Ban

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.

Oct 7, 2024
Letter

Chair Rodgers Leads House GOP in Demanding Answers Over FCC Fast-Tracking Democrat Mega-Donor’s Media Takeover Weeks Before Election

Soros-linked fund to acquire more than 200 local radio stations weeks before election Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) led 40 of her Republican colleagues in demanding answers from the Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding her recent decision to fast-track a media deal allowing the Fund for Policy Reform, a group aligned with Democratic mega-donor George Soros, to buy over 200 radio stations just weeks before the 2024 election. With a party line vote of 3-2, the decision at the Commission level by the Democratic members of the FCC to temporarily waive the required national security review and allow excessive foreign ownership of American radio stations is deeply disturbing. KEY LETTER EXCERPT: “It is highly concerning that the FCC did not follow regular order for a transaction of this magnitude. Licensees and investors need certainty that the FCC will follow its rules and procedures when approving transactions so that the broadcast industry can have the resources it needs to continue serving the public.”  BACKGROUND: Audacy, Inc., a radio broadcasting group, which owns more than 200 radio-station licenses, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.  Audacy’s filings revealed that a George Soros-backed group known as the Fund for Policy Reform had acquired at least 40 percent of Audacy’s debt.   Audacy estimated that, upon emerging from bankruptcy, 25 percent or more of its stock would be indirectly foreign owned, which triggers FCC review.   This review process requires national security agencies to review the transaction and offer any policy or national security concerns.   On September 30, 2024, the FCC released an Order granting a temporary waiver of this review process, delaying a national security review until after the bankruptcy process is complete and allowing foreign control of a significant number of radio stations across the entire United States, weeks before a national election. CLICK HERE to read Breitbart's exclusive coverage. CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

Jul 25, 2024
Press Release

E&C Republicans Open Inquiry into NTIA’s Online Domain Name Registry Contracts Ahead of Renewal

Washington, D.C. — In a new letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) requested information about the agency’s internet domain name registry agreement with Verisign, Inc. (Verisign). BACKGROUND :  The NTIA represents the United States government on the Governmental Advisory Committee of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the multi-stakeholder, not-for-profit entity that was founded in 1998 to coordinate the Internet domain name system, among other Internet management-related activities. Since 2001, Verisign has operated the .com and .net domain name registries.   Verisign manages the .com registry under two agreements—a .com Registry Agreement between ICANN and Verisign and a Cooperative Agreement between the NTIA and Verisign.  Both of these agreements are in place through November 30, 2024.  As the expiration dates of these agreements approach, some have suggested that the NTIA should reassess certain aspects of both agreements.   Under the Cooperative Agreement’s terms, it will automatically renew on November 30, 2024, unless Verisign provides written notice of non-renewal within 120 days of its expiration.   The Department of Justice has previously recommended ICANN hold a competitive bidding process for renewals of registry agreements.   The current agreement, as amended, has allowed Verisign, with ICANN’s agreement, in each of the last four years of every six-year contract period, to increase the maximum price Verisign charges for yearly registration or renewal of a .com name by up to seven percent over the maximum price it charged in the previous year.   Verisign has since instituted a price increase of the maximum amount in every year it was allowed to do so.   KEY LETTER EXCERPT :  “With both a role in advising ICANN and as a party to the Cooperative Agreement, the NTIA bears responsibility for supporting a domain name system that enables the growth of online commerce. Both individual consumers and businesses depend on responsible management of the .com system. Monopolistic elements and excessive domain name price increases stifle the ability of potential .com registrants to conduct business online.  “As such, we seek more information about the NTIA’s process in considering the renewal of both the Registry Agreement and the Cooperative Agreement.”  CLICK HERE to read the letter.