Energy

Subcommittee Chairman Latta’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:   Welcome to today’s hearing 'Powering America’s Future: Unleashing American Energy.' Today, we are discussing the state of our nation’s energy system, reviewing Biden administration actions that have undermined our economic and national security, and, importantly, looking forward to how our subcommittee will meet our ever-expanding need for more energy.    Unleashing American Energy  "Welcome to today’s hearing “Powering America’s Future: Unleashing American Energy. "Today, we are discussing the state of our nation’s energy system, reviewing Biden administration actions that have undermined our economic and national security, and, importantly, looking forward to how our subcommittee will meet our ever-expanding need for more energy. "In the last Congress, I asked our witnesses: do we need more or less energy?  "Every witness responded by saying “we need more energy, and we need it now”.  "The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that the United States will consume record amounts of electricity in 2024 and 2025. The Department of Energy’s Berkeley Lab estimates that U.S. data center load growth, which already encompasses half the data centers in the world, is projected to double or triple by 2028.  "Last Congress, we heard extensive testimony from grid experts and operators about the impacts of burdensome regulations like the Clean Power Plan 2.0 that will drive out resources that are essential to keeping the lights on and our economy flowing.  "Households and businesses alike continue to struggle under high energy prices that have followed excessive federal spending and anti-fossil fuel policy decisions of the Biden administration.  "In 2008, House Republicans first showcased the “all-of-the-above” energy strategy that supports this diverse mix of energy sources without the government picking winners and losers – which is better for meeting demand and better for the environment.  "Intermittent energy sources, such as solar and wind, have a role to play in a diverse energy mix. However, we must maintain our baseload power that is delivered from fossil fuels, nuclear, and hydropower.  "While resources are strained, the next generation economy will require massive amounts of reliable, affordable, and abundant energy. My district in Ohio is home to over 86,000 manufacturing jobs and is seeing the data center energy demand arrive. "When it comes to winning the AI race, all energy solutions need to be on the table: small modular nuclear reactors, traditional nuclear power, intermittent renewables, batteries, natural gas, and fuel cells, just to name a few.  "But our nation’s energy future is at a turning point, and the world is not waiting for us." Maintaining Global Leadership  "Adversarial nations actively seek to exploit our energy demand to undermine our position on the world stage. "Unfortunately, misguided actions from the Biden administration, like the LNG export ban, handicapped diplomatic tools of energy abundance. "Instead, the Biden administration’s “electrification or nothing” and “rush to green” approach has only emboldened adversaries like communist China who manipulate critical mineral markets and limit exports of key materials for our manufacturing sector and defense industrial base.  "Meanwhile, China is doubling down on their efforts to gain a leadership position in the global race for AI development and the next generation economy.  "Here’s the good news: it’s a new day in America and President Trump has led a necessary reset of our national energy strategy.  "As we look to the future of our nation’s energy needs, this subcommittee will be essential to ensure our electric grid is secure against physical and cyber-attacks and natural disasters. We will unlock our abundant resources through permitting reforms that can ensure innovations and advancements are happening here in America. "We will build on the bipartisan success of the ADVANCE Act and the Nuclear Fuel Security Act to usher in next generation nuclear, discuss innovative solutions for spent fuel like recycling and storage, and expand America’s nuclear fuel infrastructure to restore our global nuclear leadership. "This committee must address the growing energy demand, and all of the issues that come with it. I look forward to the constructive dialogue today as we embark on a path to reassert North American energy dominance.  "With that, I yield 30 seconds of my time to the gentleman from Colorado." ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a hearing titled  Powering America’s Future: Unleashing American Energy . Chairman Latta issued the following statement following the hearing: “Today, we are discussing the state of our nation’s energy system, reviewing Biden administration actions that have undermined our economic and national security, and, importantly, looking forward to how our subcommittee will meet our ever-expanding need for more energy,”   said Chairman Latta.   “In the last Congress, I asked our witnesses: ‘Do we need more or less energy?’ Every witness responded by saying ‘we need more energy, and we need it now.’” Watch the full hearing  here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Subcommittee Vice Chairman Randy Weber (TX-14) :  "The world benefits from our clean, reliable and affordable LNG shipped right to their doorstep. The Biden Administration’s LNG export ban had severe consequences in my district that impacted real people—not just companies. Real people, real families, and their lives. President Trump has taken decisive action on day one to reverse this ban in Southeast Texas applauds him for that. So, as we worked on unleash American energy, this impact will be felt worldwide. What role do you see going forward for Ellen Jane it's got to include Texas now, you know that. Do you see going forward, domestically, with jobs and revenue for our communities, as well as for our allies abroad who depend on it for their own energy security. I yield to you."   Amanda Eversole :  "Thank you very much for your question, Mr. Vice Chairman. The role that U.S. LNG plays, not only in our country, helps drive down emissions to a once in a generation low, but also this is geopolitical strength. Not to mention the fact that just last year alone, $14.4 billion came back to the United States because of exports. And the fact that the fact of the matter is, it helps us produce the affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy that we need." Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12) :  "Nuclear energy is vital to our nation's economic national environmental security. To unleash American energy, we need an all of the above approach and we need energy projects completed with greater speed than before. Mr. McCown, my Nuclear Licensing Efficiency Act focused on timely and predictable licensing. Given the demand for energy domestically, how critical it is for nuclear companies to have regulatory certainty at the nuclear regulatory Commission and how could that to more investment and innovation to ensure US global leadership in nuclear technologies?"   Brigham McCown:   "Yes, thank you, Mr. Allen. It's absolutely critical. It's crucial to deploy capital. You must have regulatory certainty, and we have to make this simpler, we have to make this better, faster for companies in order to invest." Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08) :  "Now, we keep hearing that the US is producing record amounts of, energy, but it's not enough. We just heard commentary about what we're importing from Canada. Specific to my area, United Power, one of my local electric utilities, is projecting that they're going to need triple the amount of power in 10 years that they have now, and that's after doubling it in the last 10 years. And so that means relying on all of the above energy policies, including natural gas. And so the question to you is, what can we do as federal policymakers to create an environment that's more hospitable to domestic energy development, particularly around oil and gas, and particularly, in difficult states like Colorado?"   Amanda Eversole :  "Congressman, thank you very much for your question. One thing that we haven't talked a lot about today is about 25% of exploration and production for oil and gas takes place on federal lands and in federal waters. And the last administration, unfortunately, last year alone. was the first year since 1966 that there wasn't a lease sale in federal waters. And it really, it just doesn't have to be that way. We can’t. We need to have access to our raw materials, but we can do it in a way that's responsible because the American consumer is the one who benefits through affordable, reliable, and cleaner 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 the first hearing of the 119th Congress for the Subcommittee on Energy titled Powering America’s Future: Unleashing American Energy . “Affordable and reliable energy is key to America’s economic success and national security. Alongside President Trump, we will work to return our nation to energy dominance, lower prices at the gas pump, and help to create family-sustaining careers in the energy industry” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “This hearing is an opportunity to hear from key stakeholders on ways to achieve our goals and return to a golden age of American energy.” Subcommittee on Energy hearing titled Powering America’s Future: Unleashing American Energy . WHAT : Subcommittee on Energy hearing to discuss unleashing American energy dominance. DATE : Wednesday, February 5, 2025    TIME : 10:15AM 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 https://energycommerce.house.gov/ . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Kaitlyn Peterson at Kaitlyn.Peterson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov . ###

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.