WASHINGTON, DC - Marking an important milestone in the multi-year, multi-Congress effort to modernize the nation’s energy laws, the Energy and Commerce Committee today approved H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015, by a bipartisan vote of _to_. Full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) first unveiled the Architecture of Abundance initiative in July of 2014.
Many of the nation’s energy laws are rooted in the days of energy scarcity and do not take into account our newfound energy abundance. Over the past year, the committee has conducted a number of legislative hearings, received testimony from a number of governmental witnesses, including the Secretary of Energy, as well as dozens of private sector organizations. Through feedback and good-faith negotiations, the committee refined the comprehensive energy bill into four titles that reflect our current energy abundance - modernizing and protecting infrastructure, 21st century workforce, energy security and diplomacy, and energy efficiency and accountability. The final version approved by the committee also reflects many of the conclusions from DOE’s landmark Quadrennial Energy Review.
Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) stated, “H.R. 8 has the potential to unleash more economic growth and jobs, a more affordable and secure supply of energy, and would help advance our foreign policy objectives. Our energy picture is changing and our energy laws need to change with it. H.R. 8 brings our energy policy out of the 1970s and into the 21st century."
Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) concluded, “Today’s vote that says ‘yes to energy’ marks an important milestone as we work to update our laws for a new era of abundance. We have prioritized creating jobs and improving our infrastructure to ensure affordable energy continues to flow to folks in Michigan and across the country. America has the resources to become an energy superpower. All we need are the right 21st century laws to fulfill our promise. We will continue working toward building a bipartisan consensus as our goal remains getting something to the president’s desk that will be signed into law. We are on to the floor."
H.R. 8 fortifies America’s energy security by reinvesting in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and by hardening and modernizing energy infrastructure to withstand 21st century threats like cyber, severe weather, and EMP attacks. The legislation will also help the United States to benefit by streamlining the approval of LNG exports and by providing improved coordination on energy diplomacy issues with our North American neighbors. This legislation also includes energy efficiency provisions.
