Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) delivered the following remarks at a Subcommittee on Energy and Power hearing titled “The Department of Energy’s Role in Advancing the National, Economic, and Energy Security of the United States":
Thank you Chairman Olson and Ranking Member Rush for holding today’s hearing evaluating the Department of Energy’s work on energy security here in the United States. I would like to welcome Secretary Moniz back and thank him for his efforts to provide us all with a more secure energy future.
This is an important topic - but the realities of energy security are changing as our energy mix changes. We can no longer simply look at oil supply when we think about energy security; our country must take a broader approach that encompasses cleaner energy technologies, including renewable energy technologies, which are becoming more affordable. And, beyond the realities of our energy mix, we must recognize the impacts climate change is having on energy security here in the U.S. and abroad. Our nation is not alone in this: the G7 Energy Initiative for Energy Security states that “reducing emissions from fossil fuels is necessary to tackle climate change and can enhance our energy security." Simply put, an energy future that reduces our carbon emissions and our reliance on fossil fuels is a more secure energy future.
But simply recognizing and identifying issues affecting our energy security is not enough - we must take real action to enhance and protect our energy infrastructure. I have championed two critical proposals - born out of DOE’s Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) - one to support state efforts to modernize and harden the electricity grid, and the other to encourage investment in the repair of old, leaking natural gas pipeline infrastructure in major metropolitan regions. To make our energy future more secure, we must make serious investments in our aging and often outdated energy infrastructure.
I would be remiss if I did not also mention the ongoing energy bill conference. Along with my colleagues who sit on the conference committee, we have started the difficult process of merging two very different bills. And while some progress has been made, there are still many contentious issues to be resolved. I have made it clear that one of my top priorities in any final energy conference report is providing investments in our energy infrastructure to address some of the needs outlined in the QER, such as grid modernization.
The energy sector in 2016 looks vastly different than it did the last time we passed major energy legislation. Changes in energy markets, new technologies, improved efficiency and shifting consumer demand are all transforming how we think about energy security. Secretary Moniz, I thank you for bringing this conversation to the forefront and for your work to bolster our energy and overall national security. I look forward to your testimony.
