Washington, D.C.-House Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers delivered opening remarks at Thursday’s hearing on securing America’s energy future.
Excerpts and highlights from her remarks:
AMERICAN LEADERSHIP
“We have shared goals around protecting our health, protecting our environment, leading the world in innovation.
“First of all, America is leading. America is leading in bringing down carbon emissions today. We’re doing that through American innovation, American technology. We’re doing it through carbon capture, advanced nuclear.
“We’re leading the world in advanced nuclear technology that is absolutely fundamental to the goals around bringing down carbon emissions."
CONCERNS ABOUT CHINA
“Our concern is that the agenda as we hear being promoted right now by many Democrats is one that’s focused on solar and wind and batteries that are controlled by China.
“I am very concerned that there’s a lack of recognition that 90% of the solar panels, 80% of the wind machines, 90% of the rare Earth minerals, the batteries, are in Asia, are in China. A clean energy future that is based upon those kinds of solutions that are dominated by China is really a pro-China agenda. It’s making us vulnerable.
“Have we not learned anything through COVID and the concern around supply chains as to the vulnerability and the dependance that we have on China for basic, fundamental needs?
“I think that summarizes why there’s a fundamental concern with the direction that is being laid out right now.
“We, the Republicans on this committee, we are ready and we are ready to work with you to address the climate risk.
“We must pursue policies that will not undermine our communities or our national security. It means protecting energy affordability and reliability and building a stronger economy.
“We should also work together to help the nation confront all future risk.
“We should preserve what is best for our nation, our communities, and families, and the freedom and dignity of workers."
SECURING CLEANER AMERICAN ENERGY
“This is the path to securing a cleaner energy future.
“You can achieve a clean future by relying upon free-enterprise and private initiative.
“This will unleash innovation and transform how we make and do things, with massive benefits for our society.
“It’s how America has led the world in lifting people out of poverty and empowering people to build better lives.
“America will win the future by building on our assets and our strengths. That includes our abundant resources, which helps us preserve and strengthen our strategic relationships to confront the national security challenges.
“This is the practical path that Republicans support in our legislative work to update permitting and reduce regulations, in order to deploy new, cleaner technologies more quickly and at a lower cost.
“This path rejects one-size-fits-all central-planning - as experience tells us - is suitable only for special interests and federal regulators."
CLEAN FUTURE
“Today we’re talking about the CLEAN Future Act. It’s a 1,000 page bill and it seeks to transform the nation’s economy, its energy systems, the way people live - on a time frame and at a scale that far surpasses anything practical.
“For example, energy technology expert Mark Mills testified before this panel last month on the scale of this transformation, if it were possible, just for the power sector.
“He said this about meeting the goals of 2035. ‘It would require a continuous construction program at least 600% bigger than any single peak year for utility construction that has occurred in the U.S., China or Germany over the past half-century.’
“Given technological and market realities, this build-out would increase American reliance on China and do little to reduce global emissions or improve America’s competitive edge.
“This is not the policy outcome we want but we will be on this path if we rush down the top-down regulatory controls over our power, transportation, and industrial sectors.
“The problem is that this pace, it’s a rush and it makes no allowance for technological readiness.
[…]
It’s a chilling impact for energy workers today in America.
“Let’s reject the central planning. Let’s free our innovators by reducing regulations."
