The House energy committee next week will begin the heavy lifting in considering a number of changes to energy and environment law needed to get President Trump’s infrastructure agenda off the ground.
The Energy and Commerce Committee is holding two hearings mid-week that will tackle potentially controversial issues, such as adjusting the Clean Air Act, from which a large chunk of the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority stems.
But the ultimate goal is to “provide our members an opportunity to consider practical reforms to promote the expansion of domestic infrastructure and manufacturing,” said Rep. John Shimkus, R- Ill., chairman of the panel’s environment subcommittee.
“In previous Congresses we’ve looked at ways that we can modernize and update certain laws to ensure more efficient, cost-effective environmental protections, while promoting innovation and more affordable goods and services,” Shimkus said.
Shimkus will head the environmental modernization hearing on Feb. 16, which will tackle expanding infrastructure “through the modernization of certain environmental laws … including the Clean Air Act and the Brownfields provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.” The EPA gives states grants to clean up brownfields, which are contaminated lands, so that the area can be used again. In the past, brownfields have been looked at for building everything from solar power plants to healthcare facilities.
The day before the environment panel convenes, the Energy and Commerce Committee’s energy panel will delve deep into modernizing the nation’s energy infrastructure. The two hearings are seen as the beginning stages of hashing out the energy and environment segment of any larger infrastructure bill.
The hearing, headed by former full committee chief Fred Upton, R-Mich., will tackle the growing shift in how electricity is generated in the United States. The nation’s energy supply is more dependent on natural gas to provide its electricity than at any point in history, as natural gas has displaced coal as the nation’s leading source of electric power. However, it is also used for heating and cooking. Energy experts say for that to continue, infrastructure such as pipelines must be there to support it.
Increased oil and gas production from fracking has made the coal-to-gas switch possible. But even as energy production is at record levels, the nation’s “aging infrastructure needs to be improved and expanded to ensure the safe, efficient delivery of fuels to consumers,” the committee said.
Natural gas and oil pipeline construction that Trump supports will need to be part of the discussion, experts say. Trump recently issued executive orders calling on agencies to expedite the approval of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines.
“At the same time, technological developments in the electricity system are presenting new challenges and opportunities to the manner in which electricity is generated, delivered, and consumed across the country,” the committee said.
Natural gas and renewables are presenting the biggest changes for the grid. More pipelines are needed to supply gas-fired power plants, and more transmission lines are required to make up for the lulls in electric generation that come with increased amounts of wind and solar, say energy experts.
In addition, industry groups say the nation’s energy supplies are becoming less diverse, and new policies are required to keep the aging fleet of nuclear plants afloat to ensure reliability if natural gas lines rupture or when solar and wind cannot keep up with demand. Natural gas prices are also rising, which will make coal more desirable as a cheaper alternative in parts of the country. So coal also needs to be part of the conversation, according to the industry.
Upton said the hearing will look at ways to modernize existing laws “so we can improve and expand our infrastructure” to maximize the economic gains that come from the nation’s natural resources.
“Infrastructure modernization is critical and would create more jobs for folks in Michigan and across the country, stimulate new production growth, and strengthen our energy security,” Upton said. “I’m looking forward to learning more about what can be done to capitalize on our energy abundance and bring our infrastructure into the 21st century.”
