Energy, Climate, & Grid Security

Washington, D.C. —  House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) led debate on the House Floor today to promote H.R. 21, the Strategic Production Response Act . Below are highlights and excerpts from her remarks: PLACING AMERICA OVER CHINA “Two weeks ago, this body sent a strong message that we must ensure our nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) will not advance the energy interests of China over the energy security interests of Americans. “The bill today will help ensure this vital American energy asset – and American security interests — will not be drained away for non-emergency, political purposes. “This bill is about restoring America’s energy security. “It provides a path towards making energy more affordable for Americans, who are looking to us to help ease the pain at the pump. “H.R. 21 does this by preserving the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for its vital and central purpose — to provide the oil supplies Americans need during true emergencies: emergencies like supply disruptions that threaten the nation’s economy, or the loss of oil production due to hurricanes and other disasters. “Put simply, under this bill, if an administration chooses to use the reserve for non-emergency political purposes, it will first have to plan that an equal amount would be reinstated from American energy resources. “The SPR should be used as a tool of ‘last resort.’ This is sensible energy policy.” BIDEN JEOPARDIZING AMERICA’S ENERGY SECURITY “It is also urgent policy.  At present, the SPR’s ability to protect Americans has been put at risk by this administration. "More than 250 million barrels of oil, approximately 40% of the reserve, has been drawn down in less than two years - more than all former presidents in history, combined, all to cover up historically high gas prices in an election year. That's irresponsible. "The Biden administration has undermined our nation's ability to respond to true energy emergencies by mismanaging our nation's strategic energy stockpile. "At the same time, the Administration has taken every action to suppress America's mighty energy-production abilities. "Unbelievably, the Biden administration has turned to Venezuela and Saudi Arabia to pump more oil instead of working to lift their regulatory restraints on American energy producers. "America's oil production and refining capacity remains one million barrels below peak levels under the prior administration. We have the world's most abundant resources and the capacity to product millions more barrels per day. “America should never be at the mercy of OPEC or Russia. “Energy security is economic security, it’s national security, it’s all connected. It’s foundational to everything.” UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY AGENDA “We should be unleashing American energy on all fronts. “Don’t forget, the U.S. has some of highest environmental and labor standards in the world and we’ve been a leader in bringing down carbon emissions, we did this by embracing innovation and our abundant natural resources, not by shutting down entire industries. “Right now, America is suffering through the worst energy crisis in decades, and gas prices are still surging upwards. “President Biden and the Democrats’ radical ‘rush to green’ agenda has made life unaffordable for people across the country. “It has driven up inflation, strained household budgets, and weakened our electric grid and gas prices have risen to the highest levels in history. “Some were forced to pay more than $6 dollars per gallon. Gas prices are still 40% higher today and diesel prices are up almost $2 a gallon more than when President Biden took office. “It is time to flip the switch. It’s time to end the politically motivated abuse of the SPR and focus on American energy and American security. “Let’s send a strong signal this Congress that we stand for energy security, preserving the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, restoring America’s energy dominance, and providing for the prosperity of all Americans.”

American energy security is fundamental House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) joined CNBC’s Joe Kernan this morning to discuss how H.R. 21, the Strategic Production Response Act , will improve our energy security and affordability, while discouraging the abuse of the reserve as an election-year gimmick. Below are highlights and excerpts from Chair Rodgers’ interview: FACT-CHECKING BIDEN ON H.R. 21 “Unfortunately, the Secretary and the administration have been misrepresenting the bill. The bill only addresses non-emergency use [of the SPR]. “This bill goes back to the importance of American energy security. It's our economic security. It's our national security. “The legislation that we passed in the House already and this second bill are both related to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This is a critical asset. It’s a national security asset and it's an economic asset for emergency uses.” […] “This bill requires the administration, when they deplete it, when they sell the reserves [for non-emergency sales], that they would have to develop a plan for domestic production to offset what they are selling from the reserve. It only applies to non-emergency situations.” BIDEN HAS ABUSED THE SPR FOR POLITICS “The administration, especially leading up to the election, depleted our reserve for political purposes and I believe it is important that they are transparent, and we are holding them accountable for that. “We passed the first bill (H.R. 22) that would prohibit any sales from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve from going to China and we gained over 100 Democrats. “It was the largest bipartisan vote on an energy bill in years and I urge the Senate to take action on that.” […] “ The SPR is at the lowest levels in 40 years, we're down to 1983 levels. And now, what we're seeing since we're past the election, is that prices are going back up.” CHINA IS BENEFITING FROM BIDEN’S ACTIONS “What we're seeing is China has built up the largest [government-controlled] petroleum reserve in the world. They have been buying a lot of this oil on the open market. “We are requiring the administration to come up with a plan. So, if [the administration] reduces the SPR by 10%, they have to increase domestic production by 10%.” “We saw this administration go ask OPEC, go ask Venezuela, to produce more oil in order to help [with] the energy crisis that... their policies had brought us to. “What we're asking is for them to come up with a plan to increase domestic oil production. We have tremendous resources in the United States of America.” THE NEED FOR PERMITTING REFORM “The number one barrier to energy production in the United States is permitting in this regulatory climate. “Even at the end of last Congress, we heard Senator Manchin talking about the importance of permitting reform in the United States. “We need permitting reform and we're anxious to go to work on that.”

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement regarding misleading statements made by Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm at yesterday's White House briefing on H.R. 21, the Strategic Production Response Act.  “At a time when gas prices are on the rise, Secretary Granholm and the Biden administration need to be transparent with the American people about their efforts to cover up how they've abused the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as an election-year gimmick. Republicans want durable, long-lasting relief at the pump. The best way to do this is by unleashing American energy, which is what H.R. 21 accomplishes."  NOTE: Secretary Granholm made several claims at the White House on Monday about H.R. 21, the Strategic Production Act, that are false and misleading:  Secretary Granholm claims H.R. 21 would raise gas prices for Americans.   Fact: Average gas prices are up more than 30 cents nationwide from a month ago. The truth is that prices are still higher today than when President Biden first took office, and they’re going up. Millions of Americans are paying more at the pump as a result of the Biden administration’s radical “rush-to-green" agenda that has shut down American energy.  Secretary Granholm claims H.R. 21 would delay releasing oil in emergencies. Leaving prices at risk of rising in the wake of a market shock because of emergencies due to extreme weather events.   Fact: H.R. 21 would have no effect on DOE’s emergency authorities. It would only apply to “non-emergency” sales. So if the President declares an emergency resulting from an energy supply disruption, the Secretary would have full authority to utilize the SPR—H.R. 21 would not change or hamper that. However, if the President chooses to use the SPR without declaring an emergency—a “non-emergency” sale—then the Secretary of Energy must prepare a plan to increase domestic energy production. It is simply untrue to say H.R. 21 will raise gas prices for people. Rather, it discourages politically-motivated, “non-emergency” SPR sales and if the bill passes, it will increase the lands available for oil and gas production, which will make gas more affordable and improve our overall energy security.  Secretary Granholm claims H.R. 21 needlessly aims to weaken the strategic oil reserve‘s usefulness as a tool to ensure oil security in America.   Fact: The SPR is one of America’s most important strategic and national security assets and the Biden administration has drained it more than 40 percent in two years. This bill would only prevent this strategic asset from being abused by the President as an election-year gimmick to temporarily and artificially manipulate prices.  Secretary Granholm claims H.R. 21 would impose unnecessary, unhelpful restrictions on when the SPR can be used... require arbitrary reports regarding energy production... not offer tangible benefits to the American people... [and] interfere with the way they release oil.   Fact: There are no restrictions on DOE’s emergency authorities included in H.R. 21.  Secretary Granholm claims there is nothing standing in the way of domestic oil and gas production.   Fact: There are plenty of barriers to unleashing domestic oil and gas production, including burdensome regulations and this administration's discouragement of financial investment in domestic oil and gas industries. The U.S. continues to produce well below its peak production of 13 million barrels of oil a day in 2019. We need to unleash American energy with increased production and more pipeline capacity. 

President Biden wants to control every aspect of our lives—from what kind of cars we can drive, how we can heat our homes, and now how we’re allowed to cook food for our families. Last week, it was reported that the Biden administration is looking to ban gas stoves from American homes across the country. This is just the latest in a long line of power grabs by the radical Left. It's not about public safety, but rather about telling the American people the federal government knows what’s best. Nearly 35% of homes in the U.S. – more than 40 million Americans – use a natural gas stove. That’s why Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and 86 of her House Republican colleagues sent a letter to President Biden demanding the administration reverse any attempts to ban gas stoves. Chair Rodgers also sent a letter to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) echoing these concerns.  Highlights and excerpts from the Fox Business exclusive coverage on the letter to President Biden : Furious lawmakers are calling on President Biden to cease any efforts by his administration to ban natural gas stoves inside Americans' homes. Republicans on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent a letter to the president Friday writing in "strong opposition" to reported efforts by regulators to ban natural gas appliances. "This kind of intrusion into the homes of Americans by the federal government as a way of forcing rush-to-green, liberal policies is the ‘nanny state’ at its worst," the Republicans wrote. "Banning natural gas stoves is not about public safety – it is another example of government control; like other policies we have seen from your administration, to tell Americans what kinds of cars they can drive, how they heat their homes, and how to live their lives." The Biden administration caused an uproar over gas stoves earlier this week after a commissioner on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) suggested regulators were considering banning the appliance due to health and safety concerns. From E&E News : House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) is already making plans to bring the issue before her committee. “I’m quite concerned,” Rodgers told E&E News. “I think we need to dig into this more and probably bring them in and ask some questions.” CLICK HERE to read Chair Rodgers’ January 11th statement on President Biden’s plan to ban gas stoves. CLICK HERE to read House Republicans’ January 13th letter to President Biden. CLICK HERE to read Chair Rodgers’ January 13th letter to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric.

Washington, D.C. —  U.S. House Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Republican Leader John Barrasso (R-WY) sent a letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm raising concerns about potential damage to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) due to President Biden’s unprecedented drawdowns and DOE’s mismanagement of the national security asset. Barrasso serves as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. McMorris Rodgers serves as ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. In the letter, the committee leaders request answers and documentation for all damages and increased maintenance requirements resulting from the recent drawdowns. They also highlight the importance of the SPR’s energy security mission and the need for DOE to develop long-term plans to maintain and operate the reserve. Read the full letter  here  and below. “Dear Secretary Granholm, “We write to you with concerns regarding President Biden’s unprecedented drawdown of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which has depleted our national security asset to the lowest level since 1984. As Secretary of Energy, you have overseen the largest SPR drawdown in history, selling more than 245 million barrels since President Biden’s first day in office. This has occurred as gas prices remain high and supply chain shortages continue to plague our economy. Instead of unleashing American energy production, you have depleted our strategic stockpile while failing to establish long-term plans for the optimal size, configuration, maintenance, and operational capabilities of the reserve. “We are also concerned that the rapid depletion of the SPR may have caused damage to the SPR’s pipelines and caverns, compromising its ability to meet its energy security mission in the event of a true energy supply interruption. As you know, the SPR consists of subterranean salt caverns filled with oil, and a complex system of wells, pipelines, and pumps that use water and brine to direct the flow of oil to where it is needed. Each drawdown has the potential to degrade the SPR’s storage and distribution capabilities as pressurization, corrosion, and consequences of repeated use erode the SPR’s physical integrity. “In 2015, Congress required the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct a long-term strategic review of the SPR and authorized an investment of $1.4 billion to conduct an SPR modernization program. We were disappointed to learn that the modernization program, known as Life Extension II, was recently put on hold by DOE, resulting in critical delays and cost overruns. “President Biden’s unprecedented and unwarranted drawdowns, and the Administration’s overt crusade against the oil and gas industry, undermines the country’s energy security and, by extension, its national security. Your continued mismanagement of the SPR will leave our nation even more susceptible to true energy supply disruptions and leave us vulnerable to our greatest geopolitical adversaries. “We ask that you answer the following questions, and provide the requested documentation below, no later than December 12, 2022. Has the Biden administration conducted a full assessment of the integrity of SPR facilities to include both current use and future need? Please describe all damage and increased maintenance requirements, including well remediation, cavern closure, and both pipeline and pump replacements, that has occurred as a result of the drawdown. Have any SPR caverns collapsed or been closed temporarily or permanently as a result of the recent drawdowns? Does the Biden administration intend to close down any caverns or sites as a result of the SPR’s depletion? If so, which ones and over what time period? What is the current status of Life Extension II? Is it behind schedule? Specifically, has its completion fallen further behind schedule as a result of the SPR’s recent drawdowns? If the Biden administration does refill the SPR, will the construction of new caverns and other infrastructure be required? In the event SPR refills commence, will an equal volume of oil be bought that was sold? Has the SPR faced physical or cyber security threats to any of its facilities? If so, please describe to include dates when the incidents occurred and the resolution. Additionally, please list all local, state, and federal partner agencies who assisted in mitigation efforts. Please provide all Department correspondence to include studies and assessments pertaining to the SPR’s structural integrity as related to President Biden’s SPR drawdowns. Please provide all Department records related to future SPR cavern development and acquisition. “We look forward to your prompt response.”

Washington, D.C. —  House Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) urging the agency to review the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Technology transfer activities to ensure they are working in the best interest of the American people—not helping adversaries like China. Excerpts and highlights from the letter to the GAO: “Every year, the Department of Energy (DOE) oversees investments of billions of federal dollars in research and development to advance the economic, energy, and national security interests of the nation.  This work is conducted across DOE research and production facilities and its national laboratory system, which is at the forefront of technology development and maturation, and which spurs innovation and benefits American competitiveness and security.  To help ensure that taxpayer-funded technologies developed by DOE can be commercialized to the benefit of the nation, the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) develops and oversees the Department’s commercialization programs and engagement with business and industrial sectors across the United States. “While OTT’s mission is important, it is also essential that potential technology transfers be scrutinized to ensure that taxpayer-funded technologies are not transferred to foreign companies that will ultimately move jobs overseas and use U.S. technology breakthroughs to compete against U.S. industry. This point is underscored by a recent DOE review of licensing of breakthrough battery technology—developed through taxpayer-funded research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and from the state of Washington—following news reporting that the laboratory allowed the technology license to be transferred to a Chinese company.  The review found a lack of internal controls and effective management of the licensing at the laboratory. It also identified the need to assess research security and technology transfer policy and oversight across the DOE enterprise to address commercial and security risks. “To protect U.S. investment in leading technologies and U.S. manufacturing jobs, it is essential to make transparent whether DOE’s technology transfer activities are working in the interest of the American people, and not in support of America’s adversaries. Accordingly, we write to request that the Government Accountability Office undertake a broad review of DOE’s technology transfer and intellectual property protection activities. “Specifically, we request that GAO evaluate DOE’s technology transfer program and its implementation across the DOE enterprise, with specific focus on the controls in place to protect taxpayer-funded technologies from foreign transfer. We believe this is particularly important with respect to technologies that have been identified as critical and emerging. “Further, we request that GAO evaluate the tools available to the government to monitor critical and emerging technologies funded by DOE that have already transferred to U.S. companies to guard against their potential later acquisition by or transfer to foreign companies or countries. A review of this nature should include a full exploration of how DOE enforces the terms of its laboratories’ licenses. “We appreciate your assistance in this DOE management oversight effort, which is important to strengthening U.S. competitiveness by helping to ensure that taxpayer-funded critical and emerging technologies are of maximum benefit to the people who funded their development.” CLICK HERE  to read the full letter.