[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 68 (Thursday, April 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H2512]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ENERGY STABILITY IN INSULAR REGIONS

  (Ms. PLASKETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about the need for 
congressional support for energy stability in offshore, isolated and 
underserved areas. In the Virgin Islands, we are acutely aware of the 
impacts of climate change, including the increasing frequency and 
severity of hurricanes, as evidenced in 2017 with two Category 5 
hurricanes hitting our home.
  Energy remains the single most critical factor for our territory's 
future. High electricity costs and power instability continue to hamper 
economic recovery. Systemic energy instability has direct and indirect 
negative impacts on sustainable economic development, which magnifies 
existing societal vulnerabilities.
  The Biden-Harris administration's energy policy offers the Virgin 
Islands and places like it a transformative opportunity, including the 
Energy Department's State Energy Program and Loan Programs Office, the 
Interior Department's Energizing Insular Communities, and EPA's Solar 
for All programs.
  We must continue to utilize and champion this administration's vision 
to enable disadvantaged, isolated areas to define and implement our 
energy future through a modern-day lens, fundamentally addressing our 
needs as we see them.

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