WASHINGTON, DC - The Energy and Power Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), has scheduled a hearing for Thursday, April 30, 2015, at 10:15 a.m. in room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing will continue the committee’s work on its Architecture of Abundance energy legislation with a review of “Strategic Petroleum Reserve Discussion Draft and Title IV Energy Efficiency."
Changing global energy markets and the surge in domestic oil production have underscored the need to modernize our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Recent reported vulnerabilities have shown the need to upgrade the SPR’s infrastructure to respond to emergencies. The draft legislation seeks to ensure that our stockpiles of petroleum are kept safely and readily accessible in times of national emergency by directing the Department of Energy to conduct a long-range review of the SPR and recommend an action plan to achieve optimal capacity, location, composition, storage, and distributional capabilities.
Energy efficiency is a simple and affordable way to help meet U.S. energy demands and reduces costs for consumers and the federal government. Title IV seeks to capitalize on energy efficiency opportunities across the private and public sectors by facilitating the development and deployment of innovative technologies and encouraging energy savings techniques. The legislation seeks to improve efficiency of the federal government through improved technologies and energy performance contracting, promote greater energy savings in products and buildings, and reduce the compliance costs and burdens on manufacturers of energy-efficient technologies.
The committee is advancing a comprehensive energy bill addressing four key policy areas: modernizing infrastructure, a 21st century energy workforce, energy diplomacy for a changing world, and efficiency and accountability. The administration’s recently released Quadrennial Energy Review highlighted the need for congressional action to address these issues, including recommendations to modernize the SPR and improve energy efficiency.
“Modernizing our strategic energy reserves and advancing energy efficiency are critical to achieving a stronger and more secure energy future. A modern SPR will ensure that we can effectively respond during national emergencies, and by improving energy efficiency, we can meet our energy demands while reducing waste and costs for taxpayers, " said House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY). " We look forward to the witnesses’ testimony on these important elements of the Architecture of Abundance as we continue to work toward a final legislative product that can move our energy policy into the 21st Century. We were encouraged by the bipartisan support displayed at our workforce hearing and hope we can continue to work together to advance a comprehensive bill."
The Majority Memorandum, a witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted.
