Americans need affordable energy that doesn't create supply chain issues or leave the nation vulnerable to its adversaries, the new chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Energy, Climate and Grid Security said recently.
U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan (D-S.C.) referred to a prior hearing on Restoring American Energy Dominance and said President Joe Biden's administration is making energy unaffordable and less reliable for the American consumer.
"Our goal is to enact policy that delivers affordable, reliable and clean energy to all Americans," Duncan said. "A goal I believe we all share on this committee regardless of party."
U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan (D-S.C.)
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Duncan made his comments during a joint hearing the subcommittees on Energy, Climate and Grid Security, and on Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Minerals of the Committee on Energy and Commerce on Tuesday, Feb. 7. The hearing's topic was "Unleashing American Energy, Lowering Energy Costs and Strengthening Supply Chains."
Duncan was named chair of the subcommittee, formerly known as the Energy Subcommittee, shortly after Republicans took over leadership in the House last month.
The Biden administration's energy policies place too much emphasis on renewables, Duncan said.
"The aggressive 'rush to green' agenda is compromising our security by creating vulnerabilities in our energy supply chain, making us more reliant on our adversaries for energy and critical materials," Duncan said, adding that he believes there is a better way.
"We believe in unleashing all sources of American energy – from nuclear, oil and gas, to hydropower, renewables and hydrogen," Duncan said. "We also believe in unleashing innovation by creating a regulatory structure that encourages investment and growth in the private sector. We've said it before – American energy production and reducing emissions are not mutually exclusive. We produce energy cleaner than anywhere in the world."
The Biden administration doesn't see it that way, Duncan said.
"Unfortunately, many of the energy policies coming out of the Biden administration prioritize climate goals over reliable and affordable energy," he said. "They compromise the ability for Americans to afford their power bills and keep on the lights. They also fail to address the significant permitting barriers to bringing more clean energy online. The bills we are reviewing today offer solutions – they will bring down the cost of energy, reduce emissions, strengthen our energy supply chains, and pave the way to restoring American energy dominance."
Americans are increasingly reliant on China, Iran and OPEC, which Duncan's Protecting American Energy Production Act, HR 751, would counter, the congressman said. The bill, one of a number reviewed during the hearing, would bar the administration "from declaring a moratorium on fracking," which is necessary "because President Biden has repeatedly stated he would end fossil fuel production in the U.S.," Duncan said.
Duncan also highlighted legislation introduced by Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), the Natural Gas Tax Repeal Act or HR 484, which would repeal "the costly natural gas tax created in the Inflation Reduction Act," and the Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act. The latter bill, HR 1616, would encourage "the construction of energy infrastructure across the borders of the U.S., Canada and Mexico – helping us secure Western Hemispheric energy security," Duncan said.
During his own comments at the joint subcommittee hearing, Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) President and CEO Jeff Eshelman said his organization supports "legislation that will increase American energy production, lower energy costs, strengthen domestic supply chains and protect America’s energy grid."
"The various pieces of legislation being considered today will move the nation forward in our effort to enhance and strengthen American energy security," Eshelman said. "The Energy and Commerce Committee should be commended for these efforts."
Eshelman said the IPAA supports Duncan's Protecting American Energy Production Act and Pfluger's Natural Gas Tax Repeal Act.
Duncan's comments and the joint hearing came earlier the same day as Biden's State of the Union address, when the president doubled down on his administration's commitment to transition to green energy. Biden referred to climate change as an "existential threat" and criticized "Big Oil" for their "outrageous" record profits, news outlets worldwide, including EnergyWire, reported.
Biden also reiterated his goal of making the nation carbon free by 2035 but provided no new details about how his administration will do that.
The nation's residential energy costs have increased from 14.07 cents per Kilowatt-hour in November 2021 to 15.64 cents per Kilowatt-hour in November 2022, according to data released by the Energy Information Administration. Some states, including California, saw even greater increases in that time. California's residential energy costs went up from 23.87 cents per Kilowatt-hour to 26.14 cents per Kilowatt-hour. In Hawaii, residential energy costs rose from 34.74 cents per Kilowatt-hour to 43.91 cents per Kilowatt-hour.
The short-term energy outlook also is bleak, according to predictions released by the Energy Information Administration. The Energy Information Administration predicted the country's energy generation share represented by renewable energy will increase from 22% in 2022 to 24% in 2023, but that total U.S. power generation will decrease by 2% in 2023.
