Monday, February 5, 2024

Energy and Power Subcommittee reviews eight bills on energy infrastructure

U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield
U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield
The House Energy and Power Subcommittee reviewed eight bills targeting energy infrastructure strengthening and modernization last week, including measures on natural gas, orders affecting rates and hydropower.

“We’ve continuously examined legislation aimed at cutting red tape where it is standing in the way of energy infrastructure that would benefit all Americans,” U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), chairman of the Energy and Power Subcommittee, said. “Projects that update and expand the nation’s energy infrastructure will create jobs and lead to greater supplies of affordable domestic energy for our homes and businesses. That is the unifying theme behind the eight bills we reviewed today.”

The bills reviewed included legislation to establish a $10 million minimum monetary threshold for acquisition of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) jurisdictional facilities, to allow aerial survey data to be accepted in federal review of natural gas pipelines and to allow rehearing of orders affecting rates, as well as five bills to promote construction of hydropower projects.

“Renewable hydropower is a critical component of our all-of-the-above energy strategy, and its benefits are many,” U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said. “Hydro is cheap and reliable and has minimal environmental impacts. Each of these hydroelectric projects will create many high-paying construction jobs and expand the electricity supply for the communities directly served.”