WASHINGTON, DC - The Energy and Power Subcommittee today released a discussion draft entitled “Title III: Energy Diplomacy," to be included in the committee’s Architecture of Abundance energy legislation. The subcommittee will review the draft during Thursday’s hearing with Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and at a separate hearing scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, 2015.
The subcommittee’s draft follows the committee’s bipartisan delegation trip to Ukraine and other parts of Europe where committee leaders met with high-ranking officials and learned about the energy challenges facing our allies and opportunities for U.S. energy diplomacy. The legislation seeks to advance energy diplomacy by improving coordination and planning and removing barriers to trade among U.S. allies and partners.
The draft legislation would:
* Establish an interagency task force, led by the Secretary of Energy, to identify ways to improve federal interagency coordination for permitting major energy projects
* Enhance energy integration among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to strengthen North American energy security
* Modernize the review process for cross-border energy infrastructure projects
* Reform DOE’s approval process for LNG exports to eliminate unnecessary delays
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) said, “America is emerging as the world’s leading energy superpower, but with this triumph comes new opportunities and diplomatic responsibilities. Our abundance of resources can be used to fortify our own energy security while also supporting our allies in their quest for affordable and reliable energy. Mutually beneficial opportunities exist with our partners here in North America as well as overseas, but we need modern energy policies that allow us to seize them. This commonsense legislation takes important steps toward a brighter and more secure global energy future."
