Energy, Climate, & Grid Security

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) today announced a hearing titled “Oversight of FERC: Adhering to a Mission of Affordable and Reliable Energy for America.”  “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) plays a critical role in ensuring Americans have access to abundant, affordable, reliable energy. Yet recent steps taken by the commission suggest it is making decisions to advance a rush-to-green agenda that threaten our grid reliability and go beyond its statutory authority. We look forward to hearing directly from FERC commissioners at this hearing to ensure they’re adhering to the commission’s core mission of ensuring affordable and reliable energy for America.”  Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, & Grid Security hearing titled “Oversight of FERC: Adhering to a Mission of Affordable and Reliable Energy for America.”   WHAT: Energy, Climate, & Grid Security Subcommittee hearing on returning FERC to its core mission of ensuring affordable and reliable American energy  DATE: June 13, 2023  TIME: 10:00 AM  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building        This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/ . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Kaitlyn Peterson at Kaitlyn.Peterson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Sean Kelly at sean.kelly@mail.house.gov .  CLICK HERE to read the letter sent to FERC Commissioners demanding they return the agency to its core mission to help deliver abundant, reliable, and affordable energy for Americans.  CLICK HERE to read the letter sent to FERC Commissioners urging them to stop prioritizing the left’s political agenda over making energy more reliable.  CLICK HERE to read the letter to FERC requesting information on how they plan to incorporate guidance from the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in a way that does not jeopardize American energy security. 

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) today announced a hearing titled “Oversight of NRC: Ensuring Efficient and Predictable Nuclear Safety Regulation for a Prosperous America.”  “Nuclear energy is a key ingredient to our energy mix. It is how we win the future with reliable, affordable, and clean energy that powers our way of life, reduces emissions, keeps the lights on, builds stronger communities, and keeps our economy going. We look forward to hearing the commissioners' perspective on what makes sense for a modern safety regulator to assure efficient, predictable regulation that provides for a robust and growing industry, consistent with the goals of the Atomic Energy Act.    Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, & Grid Security hearing titled “Oversight of NRC: Ensuring Efficient and Predictable Nuclear Safety Regulation for a Prosperous America.”   WHAT: Energy, Climate, & Grid Security Subcommittee hearing on ensuring efficient and predictable nuclear safety regulation.  DATE: June 14, 2023  TIME: 10:00 AM  LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building         This notice is at the direction of the Chair. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live-streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/ . If you have any questions concerning the hearing, please contact Kaitlyn Peterson at Kaitlyn.Peterson@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Sean Kelly at Sean.Kelly@mail.house.gov .  NOTE: In April, a bipartisan group of committee leaders sent letters to nuclear energy stakeholders requesting information on the NRC’s regulatory efforts to ensure safe, efficient, predictable regulation for the nuclear industry in the U.S. CLICK HERE to read the letter. 

House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans spoke in favor of S.J. Res. 11 , a resolution to disapprove of the EPA’s final rule, “Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards.” It passed the House Tuesday by a vote of 221-203. BOTTOMLINE: The EPA’s own estimates say their emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks could cost more than $8,000 per semi-truck. This will jack up prices for everything transported by truck, including food, clothing, building materials. The American people can’t afford this regulation and it’ll force small operators close up shop, which will wreak havoc across our supply chains. More from E&C Republicans below:

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member John Barrasso (R-WY) today requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) evaluate the Department of Energy’s (DOE) mismanagement of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which has undermined America’s energy security and increased our reliance upon foreign energy sources. Excerpts and highlights below: “We write to request that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) evaluate the Department of Energy’s (DOE) management of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) and conduct an audit of the SPR modernization program authorized by Section 404 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. DOE’s mismanagement of the SPR has undermined America’s energy security, leaving the nation more vulnerable to energy supply disruptions, and increasing the ability for OPEC and Russia to use energy as a geopolitical weapon. “Today, the SPR inventory is at the lowest level since 1983. Under President Biden, DOE has overseen the largest SPR drawdown in history, selling off more than 250 million barrels, equivalent to 42 percent of the reserve, with no credible plan to replenish the stockpile. DOE has failed to establish long-term plans for the optimal size, configuration, maintenance, and operational capabilities of the reserve. We are concerned that the rapid depletion of the SPR may have caused structural 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 disruption. 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 DOE to conduct a long-term strategic review of the SPR and authorized an investment of $1.4 billion to conduct a SPR modernization program. We were disappointed to learn that the modernization program, known as Life Extension II, has been put on hold by DOE, resulting in critical delays and cost overruns. DOE also recently created new rules, without Congressional authorization, for ‘fixed-price’ purchases of crude oil, rather than conventional purchase contracts. The failure of DOE to secure contracts to purchase oil under the new ‘fixed-price’ bidding scheme raises serious questions about DOE’s replenishment strategy and the ability of the SPR to protect the American consumers and the economy in times of emergency. “Given the concerns identified and the importance of the SPR as an energy security asset, we request that the GAO conduct a programmatic audit of the SPR modernization program, including the status and budget of the Life Extension II program, and other relevant programs relating to SPR operations, maintenance, modernization, and acquisition and sales relating to the reserve.” Members asked GAO to address the following questions in their final audit report: Has the Biden administration conducted a long-term strategic review of the SPR, and if so, is the review adequate to inform decision making and protect the nation from energy supply disruptions in both current and future scenarios? What damage and increased maintenance requirements, including well remediation, cavern closure, and both pipeline and pump replacements, have resulted from the recent drawdowns? What physical or cybersecurity threats are there to the SPR facilities? How thorough are DOE’s studies and assessments of the SPR’s structural integrity? Has the DOE developed an adequate plan for replenishing the SPR? If so, please explain. CLICK HERE to read the full letter.

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Energy, Climate, & Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) sent a letter to Acting Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Willie Phillips and the other Commissioners demanding they return the agency to its core mission to help deliver abundant, reliable, and affordable energy for Americans. Excerpts and highlights from the letter: INCREASING BLACKOUT RISKS: “Blackouts, brownouts, and energy rationing have become far too common in the past few years. The primary cause of the electricity shortages Americans have experienced in recent history is a lack of generation capacity. In other words, some regions do not have enough reliable, dispatchable generation to produce the electricity needed to support the bulk power system. These shortages often happen in the cold of winter or the heat of summer. This is due, in no small part, to the premature retirement of dispatchable generation resources, like coal, nuclear, and natural gas, and the rapid expansion of intermittent resources, like wind and solar, onto the bulk power system.” RAPID ELECTRIC GENERATION RETIREMENTS ELEVATE RISKS: “For the past several summers, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) implements rolling outages to balance its lack of dispatchable generation with increasing demand for electricity. According to an Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) study conducted in 2020, ‘[t]he CAISO supply deficiency was largely due to a resource adequacy issue.’ In a recent study conducted by the Midcontinent ISO, the grid operator highlighted the pervasive risk of capacity shortfalls across its system by noting it had a ‘1.2 gigawatt (GW) capacity shortage in the planning resource auction […].’ Additionally, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) could potentially face energy shortfalls. According to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), in SPP, ‘outages and reduced output from thermal and hydro generation could lead to energy shortfalls at peak demand.’ “The PJM Interconnection, the nation’s largest grid operator, recently issued a dire warning about the rapid pace of electric generation retirements within its service territory. In a report issued February 24, 2023, PJM notes, ‘[r]etirements are at risk of outpacing the construction of new resources.…’ In the report, PJM projected 40 GW (40,000 MW) of retirements due to economic and policy factors, including   regulations issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state climate laws or regulations, as well as private sector Environmental, Social, and Governance commitments.” Committee Republicans asked FERC to respond to the following questions by May 1 0, 2023. In your view, are the current Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO) or Independent System Operators (ISO) the best mechanism to provide reliable electricity? Please explain. Do current market rules allow dispatchable, on-demand generation resources the opportunity to recover sufficient revenues to continue to operate in the RTOs/ISOs? If so, which rules? If not, would you recommend FERC direct RTOs/ISOs to implement such rules? How do RTOs/ISOs compare to traditionally regulated regions in terms of electric reliability? Please provide specific data. What policies, whether federal, state, or market rules, prevent sufficient resource adequacy in RTOs/ISOs necessary to power the grid 24/7/365 regardless of the weather? Gas power generators are not required to procure firm gas transportation in RTO/ISO markets. How will the Commission ensure that market design adequately compensates natural gas generators for the reliability benefits of firm natural gas transportation? CLICK HERE to read the full letter. NOTE: Committee Republicans sent similar letters to FERC earlier this year demanding they abandon the Left’s rush-to-green agenda and return to their core mission.

Washington, D.C. — In response to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s recent pro-China comments , House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans, led by Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Energy, Climate, & Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC), and Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Bill Johnson (R-OH) sent a letter urging Granholm’s immediate retraction of the remarks and demanding that she make plans to appear before the Committee as soon as possible to account for them.   Excerpts and highlights from the letter to Secretary Granholm:  “ We are deeply troubled by your recent public comments praising China for its supposed efforts to address climate change risks, as they raise serious questions about your judgment and priorities as Secretary of Energy.     “China poses one of the greatest economic, military, and geopolitical threats to the United States, while continuing to be one of the world’s worst polluters.  As the Secretary of Energy, your core responsibilities involve national security, particularly maintaining and certifying the reliability of the nation’s nuclear deterrent and protecting our most sensitive technological secrets from theft by our chief adversaries, Russia and China.    “At the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, this past week, you stated in an interview that China has been ‘very sensitive’ about addressing climate risks, that ‘we can all learn from what China is doing,’ and that you find China’s clean energy investments ‘encouraging.’  These are alarming comments that, at best, reflect an uninformed, unserious perspective on the goals and intentions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its abysmal human rights and environmental record.   “We write to request that you immediately retract these pro-China statements and that you make plans to appear before the Committee as soon as possible to account for these statements and explain your priorities as Secretary of Energy.   “Instead of acclaiming China and the CCP and amplifying its propaganda, let’s join together in exposing the dangers of our growing dependence upon China for energy, transportation, and technology systems. Let’s join together to safeguard American technology from the CCP’s relentless efforts to steal and exploit our innovations for its military and economic agenda.  “We are deeply concerned that the rush-to-green agenda of this administration, which you are leading to implement, is putting the United States on a perilous path in which the energy that powers our homes, businesses, and livelihoods will run straight through China with critical minerals supply chains. Plus, this administration’s constant promotion of mandates and subsidies to electrify our transportation systems will result in American mobility controlled with components and materials from China. Meanwhile, the CCP continues to build and utilize coal-fired power plants at home and abroad to further spread its influence, while increasing its carbon emissions.  “Russia’s attack of Ukraine exposed the energy vulnerabilities of Europe. Much of Europe had abandoned its firm power sources like nuclear energy and coal-fired power plants, refused to take advantage of its natural gas resources after succumbing to Russian anti-fracking propaganda, and instead become reliant upon natural gas from Russia.    “We fear that this administration—with its anti-fossil fuel policies—is marching the United States toward the same position of energy vulnerability, only with China holding the keys to America’s energy security. Comments like the ones you made this past week are only advantageous to the CCP’s agenda, which aims to dominate the United States on all fronts.  “China has been termed the OPEC of green energy materials. Yet, China’s overall share of the energy minerals processing actually surpasses OPEC’s 34% share of oil markets—40% for copper, 70% for cobalt and lithium, about 90% for rare earth minerals. We must reverse this dangerous trend and secure our energy materials supplies.    “Our staff have been in discussions with your staff about scheduling your appearance before the Committee to justify DOE’s budget and discuss the Department’s policies. In light of your recent comments, we expect you to make yourself available to the Committee to testify immediately.”  CLICK HERE to read the full letter.