[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 173 (Tuesday, December 1, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H8839-H8846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NORTH AMERICAN ENERGY SECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 2015
General Leave
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 8.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Allen). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 539 and rule
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 8.
The Chair appoints the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Jenkins) to
preside over the Committee of the Whole.
{time} 1751
In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 8), to modernize energy infrastructure, build a 21st century
energy and manufacturing workforce, bolster America's energy security
and diplomacy, and promote energy efficiency and government
accountability, and for other purposes, with Mr. Jenkins of West
Virginia in the chair.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
December 1, 2015, on page H8839, the following appeared:
consideration of the bill (H.R. 8), with
The online version should be corrected to read: consideration of
the bill (H.R. 8), to modernize energy infrastructure, build a
21st century energy and manufacturing workforce, bolster America's
energy security and diplomacy, and promote energy efficiency and
government accountability, and for other purposes, with
========================= END NOTE =========================
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the
first time.
General debate shall not exceed 1 hour equally divided and controlled
by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and
Commerce.
The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) and the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, today we commence debate on H.R. 8, the North American
Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015. This bill culminates a
multiyear, multi-Congress effort to ensure that folks in Michigan and
every corner of the country have access to affordable and reliable
energy. It has been nearly a decade since we last considered a broad
energy package and a lot--a lot--has changed.
Back then, the energy situation looked downright dire: declining
domestic oil and natural gas output, increasing reliance on imports,
and energy prices that seemed like they had nowhere to go but up.
Remember 7 years ago they were $3.84 a gallon.
[[Page H8840]]
Manufacturers were leaving and fleeing overseas in pursuit of cheaper
energy.
But thankfully, because of breakthrough innovation, a little American
ingenuity, and a lot of hard work, we are now experiencing game-
changing energy abundance that has, in fact, redefined America's
standing at home, as well as around the globe. Now Michigan and many
parts of the country are enjoying a welcome manufacturing renaissance
thanks to reliable and affordable energy. It is well past time that our
laws rooted in energy scarcity caught up to our newfound 21st century
reality.
The first order of business is to allow the private sector to expand
the Nation's energy infrastructure. The Keystone XL pipeline is
certainly one of the most well-known examples of energy infrastructure
projects being delayed and ultimately denied, but it is far from the
only one.
We have a Federal permitting process that is not designed to
expeditiously handle the many projects necessary to bring online the
Nation's growing energy output and to meet energy needs of homeowners
and businesses. How can it be that in this century we can't get energy
to consumers in some parts of the country? We need to fix that problem.
This bill does that.
H.R. 8 has several useful provisions to make the approval process
more timely for projects such as interstate natural gas pipelines, LNG
export facilities, and new hydropower, which we discussed during a
hearing with the FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, just
today. And I would add that these streamlining provisions were done so
in a manner that keeps the environmental and safety protections intact.
Perhaps the biggest changes brought on by our energy abundance are
geopolitical. Where we once feared rising dependence on the likes of
OPEC, now we can, in fact, control our energy destiny and use our new
standing as an energy superpower to help our allies and friends around
the world and engage in energy diplomacy. However, this is a new role
for the U.S., and we don't have in place the means to act globally on
energy policy yet. This bill changes that.
Using the Department of Energy's Quadrennial Energy Review as a
guide, this bill begins the process of incorporating energy security
and diplomacy considerations into the decisionmaking process. It also
creates forums through which we can coordinate with our North American
neighbors, as well as our allies and trading partners around the world,
on energy policy.
Unfortunately, the energy news over the last decade hasn't been all
that good. Cyber threats and electromagnetic pulses pose a growing and
more sophisticated risk to the Nation's electricity system. We need new
measures to better address these and other threats to the grid, and
this bill, H.R. 8, has a number of important provisions.
I would add that while our energy abundance is a real blessing, it
does not in any way reduce the importance of energy efficiency. H.R. 8
again includes a number of updates to energy efficiency policy,
including measures to help the Federal Government use energy more
wisely, as well as improvements to existing energy efficiency programs
that have proven problematic.
A decade ago, no one, no one here, could have imagined where we would
be in 2015 and how much the energy script would be flipped in our
favor. It is a new day, but now that we are here, it is time to bring
our energy policy in line with those new realities. It is time that we
put the scarcity mindset in the rearview mirror and say yes to energy
and yes to jobs.
I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC, November 16, 2015.
Hon. Fred Upton,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write regarding H.R. 8, the North
American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015. This
bill contains provisions under the jurisdiction of the
Committee on Natural Resources.
I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this bill
before the House of Representatives in an expeditious manner,
and accordingly, I will agree that the Committee on Natural
Resources will not seek a referral of the bill. I do so with
the understanding that this action does not affect the
jurisdiction of the Committee on Natural Resources, and that
the Committee expressly reserves its authority to seek
conferees on any provision within its jurisdiction during any
House-Senate conference that may be convened on this, or any
similar legislation. I ask that you support any such request.
Finally, I also ask that a copy of this letter and your
response be inserted in the Congressional Record during
consideration of H.R. 8 on the House floor.
Thank you for your work on this bill, and for your
cooperation and consideration on this and many other matters
shared by our committees. I look forward to H.R. 8's
enactment.
Sincerely,
Rob Bishop,
Chairman,
Committee on Natural Resources.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC, November 16, 2015.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Longworth House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write regarding H.R. 8, the North
American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015. As
you noted, this bill contains provisions under the
jurisdiction of the Committee on Natural Resources.
I appreciate your willingness to agree that the Committee
on Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration
of the bill. I agree that this action does not affect the
jurisdiction of the Committee on Natural Resources, and that
the Committee expressly reserves its authority to seek
conferees on any provision within its jurisdiction during any
House-Senate conference that may be convened on this, or any
similar legislation. I will support any such request.
Finally, I will include a copy of your letter and this
response in the Congressional Record during consideration of
H.R. 8 on the House floor.
Thank you for your work and cooperation on H.R. 8.
Sincerely,
Fred Upton,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, November 18, 2015.
Hon. Fred Upton,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for consulting with the
Committee on Foreign Affairs regarding H.R. 8, the North
American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015. As a
result of those consultations and text edits related to the
role that the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Department of
State play in energy diplomacy, I agree that the Foreign
Affairs Committee may be discharged from further
consideration of that bill, so that it may proceed
expeditiously to the House floor.
I am writing to confirm our mutual understanding that, by
forgoing consideration of H.R. 8, the Foreign Affairs
Committee does not waive jurisdiction over the subject matter
contained in this, or any other, legislation. I also would
appreciate your support for a request by the Foreign Affairs
Committee for an appropriate number of conferees to any
House-Senate conference involving this bill, should one
occur.
I ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter
be included in the Congressional Record during floor
consideration of H.R. 8. Thank you again for your
collaborative leadership on this important legislation.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC, November 20, 2015.
Hon. Edward R. Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Royce: Thank you for your assistance
regarding H.R. 8, North American Energy Security and
Infrastructure Act of 2015.
I appreciate your willingness to discharge the Committee on
Foreign Affairs from further consideration of H.R. 8 so that
it can proceed expeditiously to the House floor. I agree that
the Committee on Foreign Affairs does not waive jurisdiction
over the subject matter contained in this or any other
legislation. In addition, I agree to support a request by the
Committee on Foreign Affairs for an appropriate number of
conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this bill.
I will place a copy of our exchange of letters on this
matter in the Congressional Record during floor consideration
of H.R. 8.
Thank you for your work and cooperation on H.R. 8.
Sincerely,
Fred Upton,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform,
Washington, DC, November 19, 2015.
Hon. Fred Upton,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 8, the North
American Energy Security
[[Page H8841]]
and Infrastructure Act of 2015. As you know, the Committee on
Energy and Commerce received an original referral and the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform a secondary
referral when the bill was introduced on September 16, 2015.
I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this
legislation before the House of Representatives in an
expeditious manner, and accordingly, the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform will forego committee action
on the bill.
The Committee takes this action with our mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 8 at
this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject
matter contained in this or similar legislation.
Specifically, the Oversight Committee's jurisdiction is
primarily triggered by provisions in the bill related to 5
U.S.C. 552, known as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). I
appreciate that our committees have had fruitful discussions
regarding these provisions and have come to an agreement
related to section 4122 of the reported bill. Negotiations
regarding sections 1104, 1105, and 1106, the application of
FOIA as it relates to critical electric infrastructure
security, the Strategic Transformer Reserve and Cyber Sense,
are currently ongoing. I have full confidence that our
committees will arrive at a mutually agreeable compromise,
which respects the Oversight Committee's interest in
narrowing FOIA exemptions, prior to floor consideration of
the bill.
I request your support for the appointment of conferees
from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform during
any House-Senate conference convened on this or related
legislation. Finally, I would ask that a copy of our exchange
of letters on this matter be included in the bill report
filed by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, as well as in
the Congressional Record during floor consideration, to
memorialize our understanding
Sincerely,
Jason Chaffetz,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC, December 1, 2015.
Hon. Jason Chaffetz,
Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Chaffetz: Thank you for your assistance
regarding H.R. 8, North American Energy Security and
Infrastructure Act of 2015. I appreciate your willingness to
forego action on the bill in the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform.
I agree that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 8 at this
time, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform does
not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained
in this or similar legislation. I am confident that our
committees will arrive at a mutually agreeable compromise on
the ongoing negotiations between our committees prior to
floor consideration of the bill.
I will support your request for the appointment of
conferees from the Committee on Oversight and Government
Reform during any House-Senate conference convened on this or
related legislation. In addition, I will include a copy of
our exchange of letters on this matter in the Congressional
Record during floor consideration of H.R. 8
Sincerely,
Fred Upton,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC, November 24, 2015.
Hon. Fred Upton,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 8, the North
American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015, as
ordered reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
There are certain provisions in the legislation that fall
within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure.
In order to expedite this legislation for Floor
consideration, the Committee will forgo action on this bill.
However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding that
forgoing consideration of the bill does not alter or diminish
the jurisdiction of the Committee with respect to the
appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional
claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or
similar legislation. I request you urge the Speaker to name
members of the Committee to any conference committee named to
consider such provisions.
Please place a copy of this letter and your response
acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the
Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on
the House Floor.
Sincerely,
Bill Shuster,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC, November 24, 2015.
Hon. Bill Shuster,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Shuster: Thank you for your letter concerning
H.R. 8, North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act
of 2015, as ordered reported by the Committee on Energy and
Commerce. As you noted, there are certain provision in the
legislation that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
I appreciate your willingness to forgo action on this bill
in order to expedite this legislation for Floor
consideration. I agree that forgoing consideration of the
bill does not alter or diminish the jurisdiction of the
Committee with respect to the appointment of conferees or to
any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters
contained in the bill or similar legislation. In addition, I
will support your request for the Speaker to name members of
the Committee to any conference committee named to consider
such provisions.
I will place a copy of your letter and this response into
the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure
on the House Floor.
Sincerely,
Fred Upton,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology,
Washington, DC, December 1, 2015.
Hon. Fred Upton
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of
Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing concerning H.R. 8, the
``North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of
2015,'' which your Committee reported on November 19, 2015.
H.R. 8 contains provisions within the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology's Rule X jurisdiction. As a result of
your having consulted with the Committee and in order to
expedite this bill for floor consideration, the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology will forego action on the
bill. This is being done on the basis of our mutual
understanding that doing so will in no way diminish or alter
the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology with respect to the appointment of conferees, or
to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters
contained in the bill or similar legislation.
I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming
this understanding, and would request that you include a copy
of this letter and your response in the Congressional Record
during the floor consideration of this bill. Thank you in
advance for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Lamar Smith,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC, December 1, 2015.
Hon. Lamar Smith,
Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Smith: Thank you for your letter concerning
H.R. 8, North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act
of 2015.
As you noted, H.R. 8 contains provisions within the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Rule X
jurisdiction. I appreciate your willingness to forego action
on the bill in order to expedite this bill for floor
consideration. I agree that doing so will in no way diminish
or alter the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology with respect to the appointment of conferees,
or to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject
matters contained in the bill or similar legislation.
I will place a copy of your letter and this response into
the Congressional during the Floor consideration of this
bill.
Sincerely,
Fred Upton,
Chairman.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, when Chairman Upton and I first talked about energy
legislation, I was encouraged that we would be working together to
develop a consensus, bipartisan bill. In the tradition of the Committee
on Energy and Commerce, that is what we started to do, spending months
negotiating over language and finally reporting a bill from
subcommittee on a voice vote in July. That bill was modest but
bipartisan and was the result of good faith cooperation.
Unfortunately, that effort fell apart. H.R. 8 is not a bipartisan
consensus bill. Instead, the House is taking up a backward-looking
piece of energy legislation at a time when we need to move forward.
H.R. 8 undermines the progress we have made in deploying the
sustainable clean energy economy of the future.
Although the title for H.R. 8 suggests we are authorizing
improvements in energy infrastructure, the bill provides no funding or
initiatives to address some of the significant energy infrastructure
issues we are facing.
Meanwhile, the bill has only gotten worse since it left the
committee. It
[[Page H8842]]
was in Upton's manager's amendment that strips out the few good
provisions that remained from the committee markup. This so-called
energy bill now does nothing for solar, wind, or any other clean energy
technology.
On top of that, the Republicans deleted a whole title of the bill
written primarily by the subcommittee ranking member, Bobby Rush, the
21st Century Workforce Initiative. That title created a new program at
DOE to help minorities, women, and veterans find work and build careers
in the energy industry. This was something that Republicans praised
throughout the committee process. In fact, the Energy Subcommittee
chairman even praised the title last night during testimony before the
Rules Committee. Yet, Mr. Chairman, the bill before us doesn't have
that provision.
What does that say about Republicans' so-called commitment to
expanding job opportunities in the energy sector for minorities, women,
and those who served our country? Unfortunately, it says all too much,
and none of it is good.
{time} 1800
H.R. 8 has one central theme binding its titles: an unerring devotion
to the energy of the past. Provision after provision favors an energy
policy that is dominated by fossil fuels and unnecessary energy use. It
is the Republican Party's 19th-century vision for the future of U.S.
energy policy in the 21st century.
Needless to say, the administration opposes this bill. If it reaches
the President's desk, it will be vetoed. I, too, oppose H.R. 8, and I
urge my colleagues to reject this attempt to roll back progress in
energy efficiency and clean energy.
I have to say I don't usually pay much attention to comments that
come from the media, but I was actually asked a couple of minutes ago
to comment on the fact that some of the Republicans have said that this
bill is actually something they can take to the Paris conference and
talk about in a positive way. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Paris conference is seeking to address climate change and is
seeking to move us towards less reliance on greenhouse gases, less
reliance on fossil fuels, and more on renewables. Nothing in this bill
accomplishes that goal, and it is hard for me to believe that my
colleagues on the Republican side could even suggest that, somehow,
this is something that they would want to bring up or talk about at the
Paris conference.
Again, I can't say anything positive about this bill, and it is
unfortunate that we have gotten to the point now at which there is no
effort, really, to reach any of the Democrats' concerns.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Barton), the chairman emeritus of the Energy and Commerce
Committee.
Mr. BARTON. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Upton for yielding me the
time.
I want to commend him for his leadership on this initiative and for
getting it to the floor. This has been a long process, and the
gentleman is to be commended for going through the regular order of the
subcommittee, of the full committee, and now to floor consideration.
I support H.R. 8, as reported out of committee and as amended in the
manager's amendment that the gentleman presented to the Rules
Committee.
I have requested--and I think it will be made in order--an amendment
to that bill to include a provision that we passed as a stand-alone
bill several months ago, H.R. 702, which would repeal the current ban
on crude oil exports.
My amendment, if made in order by the Rules Committee--and I hope
that it will be--takes what the floor passed with amendments--and we
had a number of Republican and Democrat amendments that were added
dealing with terrorism, national security, and things of this sort. I
am asking that the Rules Committee make in order H.R. 702, as amended,
and put it on the floor tomorrow as an amendment.
Mr. Chairman, in the United States, we currently produce a little
over 9 million barrels of oil per day. That makes us number 3 in the
world in terms of daily crude oil production, but we are not allowed to
export any of that crude oil. We can export refined products and we do
export up to 3 or 4 million barrels per day of refined products, but we
cannot export crude oil.
If my amendment is accepted by the Rules Committee, made in order,
voted on in a positive way by the House, sent to the Senate, and the
Senate passes H.R. 8, and it is signed by the President, we could then
begin to export our crude oil.
We have the capability to easily produce 15 million barrels a day,
and some experts say we could go up to 20. That would be a strategic
asset vis-a-vis OPEC, vis-a-vis ISIS, vis-a-vis the Russians, in that
we could use our oil in the international oil markets.
It would help our economy, would literally create hundreds of
thousands of jobs, and would, surprisingly, minimize or lower gasoline
prices here in the United States because more U.S. oil in the world
market would lower the world price, which would lower gasoline prices
at the pump.
Mr. Chairman, I appreciate your support. I ask that the Rules
Committee make my bipartisan amendment in order, which is cosponsored
by Mr. Cuellar, Mr. Conaway, Mr. Flores, and Mr. McCaul, and that we
add it to your excellent bill on the floor tomorrow.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Tonko).
Mr. TONKO. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding.
Mr. Chairman, there is strong--certainly bipartisan--consensus that
we need to update and modernize our energy infrastructure.
Unfortunately, this bill fails to make meaningful advances in this
arena.
It does not advance clean energy. The ``energy efficiency'' title
would actually be a setback in reducing consumption and carbon
emissions, and climate change is not addressed at all. Whenever
possible, this legislation favors suppliers over consumers, consumption
over efficiency, and the fossil fuels over renewable energy.
Most disappointingly, this bill could have been bipartisan. The
Senate's energy bill, while far from perfect, at least acknowledges
that we need to invest real dollars into upgrading our Nation's energy
systems.
This bill has no shortage of flaws. I have offered two amendments to
address some of these shortcomings. The first would reauthorize the
Weatherization Assistance Program and the State Energy Program. These
are two existing programs that have operated successfully for years.
The Weatherization Assistance Program supports State-based programs
to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families.
The Department of Energy provides grants to the States to deliver these
services through local weatherization agencies.
The Weatherization Assistance Program helps those in our communities
who do not have the financial resources to make energy efficiency
investments on their own: the elderly, the disabled, and other low-
income families amongst them who are struggling to make ends meet.
The second amendment would strike section 1101, an unnecessary change
to FERC's natural gas pipeline approval process. Nothing has been done
to cast FERC's role as the lead agency for siting gas pipelines in
doubt, but the majority has used this pretense to make it easier for
pipeline companies to have projects approved without extensive public
consultation, requiring FERC to make a decision within 90 days
regardless of the complexity of the application.
It would also allow for remote surveying instead of on-site
inspections. This would allow companies to circumvent property owners'
rights when surveying land. My amendment would strike this section to
ensure Federal and State regulators have the time necessary to review
any and all applications, but these issues are far from my only
concerns with this bill.
Energy efficiency has a long history of bipartisanship, but, sadly,
this has not continued in this bill.
According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy,
this bill would actually net cost consumers and cause additional
emissions.
Furthermore, the DOE is prevented from providing assistance if it
finds
[[Page H8843]]
that a proposed code does not meet a payback period of 10 years or
less. That is a return on investment that does not jibe with reality
where 30-year mortgages are often the norm.
The bill repeals a section of the Energy Independence and Security
Act which has been used to improve the efficiency of new Federal
buildings.
There was an extensive hydropower section included during the full
committee markup that was not subject to a hearing despite
significantly changing the FERC licensing process.
It does nothing to address the public health and safety hazards
created by old, leaky natural gas pipelines.
It does nothing to assist States' efforts to upgrade and modernize
their electric grids.
It is silent on the infrastructure maintenance issues associated with
the Strategic Petroleum Reserve that the administration identified in
the Quadrennial Energy Review.
It has totally failed to recognize the growth in distributed
renewable energy, such as wind and solar, and it should come as no
surprise that this bill ignores the impact of climate change, which
remains a major threat to our energy security, our economy, and human
health.
These are just a handful of the serious issues with this bill.
I believe all of us started with the intention of continuing the
Energy and Commerce Committee's long tradition of working on
comprehensive energy legislation in a bipartisan fashion, but this bill
is a far cry from the discussion drafts we actually held hearings on
earlier this year. I understand we may not agree on everything, but
this legislation fails to capitalize on those areas of agreement in any
meaningful way.
This bill's focus is on the past, not on the future. It fails to make
the necessary investments in our energy infrastructure to improve
safety, public health, and reliability.
It rolls back efforts to improve energy efficiency, does nothing to
encourage the expansion of renewable energy, and ignores climate
change, as I indicated, altogether. It promotes a future that is
economically and environmentally unsustainable.
I then urge my colleagues to reject this bill. We need to go back to
the drawing board and craft a bill that actually makes investments and
looks forward to America's energy future.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Utah
(Mr. Bishop), the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. I thank the chairman.
Mr. Chairman, the United States has become a leader in the area of
energy production. But if we are going to maintain that leadership and
be a true support for our allies, it requires certain actions that
Chairman Upton and his committee have recognized and have presented to
us in this North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act.
This bill actually contains two provisions that were bipartisan
provisions that passed in my Natural Resources Committee, both of which
will ensure that the flow of energy to our Nation will be facilitated
and will continue on in the future.
One, by Mr. MacArthur of New Jersey, illustrates the archaic
provisions that will never be used to prohibit and use Federal land as
a hindrance to pipeline production even if those pipelines are
underground and if they are already in established corridors for energy
production, especially those going into the northeast of this country.
It is an extremely important position and point of view.
Mr. Zinke of Montana and Mr. Schrader of Oregon also have a
bipartisan bill that deals with the Electricity Reliability and Forest
Protection Act, which would minimize the potential of wildfire risk in
the over 100,000 miles of power lines we have going through national
forest and Bureau of Land Management properties.
The provisions would require the agencies to actually work to come up
with constructive policies and to make timely decisions so that the
utilities have the ability to take out hazardous elements, like trees,
and so that ratepayers are not going to be on the hook for the
liability of a freak forest fire that would come because of Federal
inaction.
American energy production has literally changed in less than a
decade. There is no reason Federal lands should blockade any kind of
pragmatic approach from having these resources moved from the places
they are developed to where people can actually benefit from them.
This bill helps people, and it will move our country forward. I
appreciate Chairman Upton's and his committee's leadership. This is an
essential one if we are actually going to forge a better future for the
United States. I am proud to be down here to support it, and I
appreciate adding these two important, bipartisan provisions as part of
the overall package.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. McNerney).
Mr. McNERNEY. I thank the chairman.
Mr. Chairman, it is well past time that Congress update our national
energy policy with a framework that includes clean energy technologies,
reduces fossil fuel consumption, boosts energy efficiency in
residential, commercial, and Federal buildings, and provides the
funding necessary to advance our workforce and technological
innovation, but, unfortunately, H.R. 8 does not meet these goals.
I do want to thank Chairman Upton for working with me on several
provisions that are intended to improve responses to physical and
cyberattacks on the grid, that encourage the development and use of
water and energy-efficient technology, that streamline hydropower
permitting, and that generally improve the modernization of our
electric grid.
Unfortunately, the funding was removed for the electric grid grant
program and for carbon capture sequestration, a provision promoting the
next generation energy workforce is gone, and language that weakens
energy efficiency in buildings has not been fixed.
This is a big disappointment, Mr. Chairman, because throughout most
of the process there was real bipartisan cooperation, but in the final
stages, the majority fell into partisanship and changed the bill to
something most Democrats can't support.
So it is with great disappointment that I oppose H.R. 8, and I urge
my colleagues to do the same.
{time} 1815
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 8,
a bill that will help our Nation rise to meet growing energy demands
and challenges.
Our energy policy is incompatible with the current state of domestic
energy supply and production. The United States is now the world's
largest energy producer, but our energy infrastructure is woefully
inadequate. We have the innovation and technology to safely expand the
electric grid and pipeline systems, but administrative red tape has
severely hindered these projects.
As long as natural gas, hydroelectric, and nuclear energy projects
continue to languish for years in drawn-out Federal permitting
processes, nobody can benefit from the cleaner and more affordable
energy these sources can provide.
Not only do we desperately need to expand our energy infrastructure
to ensure reliable and affordable energy, but our national security
depends on secured energy sources and updated infrastructure to protect
against real threats.
Cyber attacks on electric utility systems and electromagnetic pulses
are no longer things you only see in movies. These threats are very
real and possible, and we need to be prepared. We need to improve
energy infrastructure security now, not later.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill so Americans can continue
to have access to an affordable, reliable, and secure energy supply.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in adamant opposition
to H.R. 8.
I don't have much time, so I can't go into all the terrible
provisions included in this legislation. To be clear, there are many.
I do want to address language that would give the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission, or FERC, what
[[Page H8844]]
amounts to fast-tracking power for pipeline approvals.
Setting arbitrary deadlines for the studies, research, and public
comment periods for dangerous and volatile pipeline projects,
regardless of how complicated the proposal or how sensitive the land
these projects cuts through, doesn't give us what my colleagues across
the aisle call energy security.
What it will do is put private, public, and protected land, clean
water, and our environment at risk.
In my district, where we are already fighting just such a project, my
constituents will be the first to tell you just how preposterous a
provision of this nature is.
This bill deserves a resounding and unilateral ``no,'' and I hope my
colleagues will join me in defeating it.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire how much time is remaining on
both sides?
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Michigan has 18\1/2\ minutes remaining,
and the gentleman from New Jersey has 19 minutes remaining.
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Allen).
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Chair, I rise today to speak about the North American
Energy Security and Infrastructure Act.
With new technology and innovations, the energy industry is growing
rapidly, and this important legislation works to maximize America's
energy potential.
The United States leads the world in energy production, but, sadly,
due to Washington's bureaucratic red tape, projects like updating our
pipelines and electric grid have fallen way behind.
This legislation will modernize our energy infrastructure, protect
our electricity system, strengthen energy security and diplomacy, and
improve energy efficiency.
Bolstering our energy security and making our infrastructure more
resilient will, in turn, strengthen our national security and our
economy. I support this important legislation because it is the next
step in becoming energy-independent. Now is the time to dramatically
increase our investment in homegrown American energy.
When I came to Congress, my top priority was growing the economy and
creating jobs. Mr. Chairman, this bill will do exactly that. It makes
no sense to place restrictions on the abundance of energy potential in
America. The United States is an energy superpower, and it is time to
step up and lead.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Massachusetts (Ms. Tsongas).
Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this
legislation and, in particular, a section of the bill that would create
an opening to cause irreparable damage to our national parks.
H.R. 8 would establish national energy security corridors to short
circuit the approval process for natural gas pipelines that cross our
Nation's public lands. In doing so, it eliminates longstanding
protections afforded to our national parks and other historically
significant areas that were set aside for the very distinct purpose of
preserving our Nation's cultural and natural heritage.
This legislation also blocks the public from providing any input on
where these natural gas pipeline corridors should be located.
My home State of Massachusetts, like many areas around the country,
faces real energy challenges. In my district, a company is proposing to
build a new 250-mile natural gas pipeline that crosses three States. I
have heard from hundreds of my constituents expressing their concerns
with the project, particularly with regard to its route.
Thanks to extensive public review and input, the pipeline route has
already been adjusted to minimize some of the environmental impacts,
but there are still many outstanding concerns that deserve careful
scrutiny to be sure that the route does not adversely impact local
farmland, State forests, parks, wildlife management areas, and
wetlands.
The significant amount of interest in this proposed pipeline reflects
the Commonwealth's longstanding history of preserving natural habitats
and protecting open spaces for the public benefit, and we have invested
enormous public resources toward these goals. This is also true of the
investments that American taxpayers have made in our national parks.
By expediting approval of natural gas pipelines, H.R. 8 would
directly erode the National Park Service's ability to meet its core
mission of preserving and protecting our Nation's natural, cultural,
and historic resources, unimpaired for the use and enjoyment of future
generations.
I offered an amendment with my colleague from Virginia (Mr. Beyer) to
remove this section from the bill. However, the majority blocked this
simple amendment from coming to the floor and receiving an up-or-down
vote.
Our national parks belong to all Americans and have been famously
called ``America's best idea.'' National parks protect, celebrate, and
give access to the many places that have shaped and defined who we are
as a people and a country.
Members should have been given the opportunity to vote on whether or
not we should protect our national parks from natural gas pipelines.
I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. MacArthur).
Mr. MacARTHUR. Mr. Chair, the North American Energy Security and
Infrastructure Act does some important things to move us into the 21st
century with our energy policy. It advances modernization, reliability,
security, and efficiency in our energy infrastructure.
I want to focus on one section of that bill, title 5, that ``national
energy security corridors'' portion. I originally proposed this as a
separate bill, and I am pleased to see it as part of this energy act.
Simply put, it allows us to move natural gas from the western to the
eastern United States.
Let me give you an example of why this matters. A couple of weeks
ago, I visited Winteringham Village in Toms River in my district. It is
a village comprised almost entirely of seniors, and their average
income is slightly over $12,000 a year.
These people are not getting a cost-of-living increase under Social
Security, but they most certainly are facing higher energy costs. The
reason is simple. While other States, western States, enjoy lower
energy costs, States like mine are facing higher energy costs, and the
reason is simple. We don't have the energy infrastructure to move gas
from the West to the East.
Last winter, on one particular day, the cost of natural gas in New
Jersey was $22.35 for a million BTUs. It was $1.50 at the same time in
Pennsylvania, one State away from me.
The solution is this ``energy security corridors'' portion of the
bill. It requires and empowers the Secretary of the Interior to
designate 10 natural gas corridors across Federal lands.
Now, I just heard that it is across national parks. Nothing could be
further from the truth. The Federal Government owns much land that is
not park land, and this would allow the Secretary of the Interior to
designate corridors so we can properly plan our energy needs.
It does a few things for us. It lowers energy costs. It protects the
most vulnerable of our citizens. It would require thoughtful planning
of where to put pipelines. It would be subject to a full environmental
review under NEPA.
It would create jobs. The President of the North American Building
Trades Union testified at our hearing that it would not only create
jobs in building these corridors, but it would create jobs because of
lower energy costs. Lastly, it would increase our security because
energy security and national security are inextricably linked.
Mr. Chairman, I am proud to have this portion of the bill included,
the ``national energy security corridors'' portion. I urge my
colleagues to support this entire bill and move our energy policy into
the 21st century.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Beyer).
Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chairman, I was disappointed to see the Rules
Committee decided to add H.R. 2295, the National Energy Security
Corridors Act, to H.R. 8.
There is no doubt that getting natural gas to where it is needed and
to lowering electric and heating bills are
[[Page H8845]]
worthy accomplishments, but we shouldn't accomplish these by
steamrolling the concerns of residents who would see new pipelines
built in their backyards.
Right now, there are multiple proposals to run natural gas pipelines
from West Virginia through the Commonwealth of Virginia to the eastern
seaboard. There is the Atlantic coast pipeline, the Mountain Valley
pipeline, and more being considered.
Understandably, people who live along the proposed route of these
pipelines are concerned. Once a pipeline route is approved by FERC,
land can be taken by eminent domain. The companies involved, of course,
want to draw the straightest, cheapest route they can. The communities
in the way of these routes face huge impacts, environmentally and
financially. They deserve a say.
Unfortunately, the legislation provides absolutely no method for the
public to have their voice heard when it comes to the location of these
corridors. It completely waives the Natural Environmental Policy Act
for the corridor designation, shutting out the community's opportunity
for public input.
Local governments are only allowed to speak to the extent that they
can help identify the most commercially viable, cost-effective acreage.
Individual resident concerns or environmental factors don't even come
into play.
This is not a productive way forward. This doesn't simplify getting
natural gas to the people who need it. This is a way that will lead to
more opposition, more lawsuits, and an atmosphere of distrust and
resentment
I have another concern. H.R. 8 now contains a provision which will
allow pipelines to be permitted across national parks without
congressional approval. This is contrary to longstanding U.S. law.
Every time we put a pipeline across a park, Congress has been involved.
My many friends in the Appalachian Trail community and the national
parks conservation community are deeply worried about Congress
abrogating its responsibility to approve such pipeline crossings.
We can't ignore the people and the parks that will be impacted by
this bill. I encourage my colleagues to oppose H.R. 8.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
This energy bill does nothing for solar, wind, or any other clean
energy technology. It does nothing for energy infrastructure either
since all funding in the bill was stripped by the GOP.
The bill contains an energy efficiency title that actually results in
more energy consumption.
The bill contains provisions that will drive up electricity prices in
the Northeast and mid-Atlantic by rigging the markets to prop up old
and uneconomical coal and nuclear plants that are losing out in the
market to cost-effective natural gas and renewables.
{time} 1830
It also has provisions to help gas pipeline companies and
hydroelectric licenses that will roll over environmental laws--like the
Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the NEPA--and undermine
the rights of consumers, tribes, and States.
Of course, the version that will be on the floor will have a couple
of bad additions from the Committee on Natural Resources, including the
MacArthur ``pipeline through parks'' legislation that would make it
easy to run pipelines through Yellowstone, Yosemite, and every other
national park.
Mr. Chairman, this is a terrible bill that demonstrates that the
Republican Party is solely focused on the energy policies of the past
and is committed to throwing up barriers to the development of a clean
and sustainable energy future.
Every Democrat should join us and the Obama administration in
opposing the bill's passage.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time.
My Committee on Energy and Commerce colleagues and I worked to create
this broad energy bill and modernize our policies.
A generation ago, policymakers were concerned with managing a
scarcity of energy resources, but times have changed. We are in the
middle of a resurgence of American energy manufacturing. We should
manage our surplus of energy resources with clear, straightforward
policies that maximize our energy potential.
This bill is a necessary legislative step to ensure our energy
infrastructure is robust and continues to create jobs in the years to
come. Modern energy challenges demand modern energy policies. We must
cut outdated red tape and ensure the energy markets remain nimble and
secure.
With H.R. 8, America can continue to take advantage of recent
technology advancements and encourage a growing market that yields jobs
at home and more influence abroad. The world doesn't want to deal with
unstable exporters, such as Russia or Iran, if they don't have to. We
should be the secure and reliable trading partner that they can trust
and they do trust.
H.R. 8 strengthens international partnerships and reforms processes
for energy exports that will pay important dividends for generations to
come.
I would like to thank my colleagues on the committee, especially
Chairman Upton, for their work on this very important bill.
This bill will keep energy affordable and ensure reliable electricity
for consumers and families across the nation.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by saying I'm pleased that this
bill includes several measures I have championed, including bills I've
offered relating to energy efficiency and electric vehicles. However, I
have to oppose this legislation because H.R. 8 fails to address climate
change. In fact, the bill includes several controversial provisions
that shift our nation's energy policy into reverse.
I'm very grateful to Chairman Upton and Subcommittee Chairman
Whitfield for including my legislation, the Energy Efficient Government
Technology Act, in the base text of H.R. 8. This bipartisan,
noncontroversial bill which I introduced with Rep. Kinzinger, received
375 votes on the House floor last year. This measure would save
taxpayers millions of dollars and would make the federal government a
leader in reducing energy use at data centers which can be highly
inefficient.
I also appreciate that two amendments I offered at the Energy and
Commerce Committee markup of this bill were agreed to by voice vote and
are included in the Manager's Amendment. The first would allow federal
agencies to offer electric vehicle charging stations to guests and
employees, a practice that is not currently allowed. The second would
add transparency requirements to ensure that only critical
infrastructure information is protected from FOIA requests, and that
this designation is periodically reviewed to ensure this authority is
not abused. These provisions are incremental but important steps toward
promoting innovation and deployment of clean and energy-saving
technologies.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the rest of H.R. 8. With
historic international climate negotiations currently underway in
Paris, this so-called ``comprehensive'' energy bill does not include a
single reference to climate change or promotion of renewable resources.
This represents the squandering of an opportunity to put in place a
21st century energy policy for our country that promotes clean energy
and reduces our dependence on the fossil fuel resources that cause
climate change.
H.R. 8 includes several controversial provisions that my colleagues
and I opposed at Committee and that are also opposed by the
Administration. For example, the bill contains unnecessary provisions
to short-circuit the review process for exports of liquefied natural
gas (LNG). The current process, which requires the Department of Energy
to ensure that all exports are in the public interest of the United
States, is working and already has us on track to be the largest LNG
exporter in the world within a decade. H.R. 8 also includes provisions
that would require a short-sighted view of energy efficiency
investments in building codes, and it would repeal the requirement that
all new and remodeled federal buildings phase out fossil fuel use by
2030. Lastly, the Manager's Amendment includes a highly controversial
bill from the Natural Resources Committee that would limit public
review and direct more natural gas pipelines to be built on public
lands, including National Parks.
Again, I appreciate the Chairman's willingness to accept my
bipartisan additions to this bill, but I cannot support this
legislation and I urge my colleagues to oppose it.
The CHAIR. All time for debate has expired.
Under the rule, the Committee rises.
[[Page H8846]]
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
MacArthur) having assumed the chair, Mr. Jenkins of West Virginia,
Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union,
reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill
(H.R. 8) to modernize energy infrastructure, build a 21st century
energy and manufacturing workforce, bolster America's energy security
and diplomacy, and promote energy efficiency and government
accountability, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution
thereon.
____________________