The purpose of this
hearing
is to receive testimony on the following bills:
S.
1281,
to amend the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 to provide for
security of tenure for use of mining claims for ancillary activities
(Cortez Masto, “Mining Regulatory Clarity Act of 2023”);
S.
1742,
to modify the requirements applicable to locatable minerals on public
domain land (Heinrich, “Clean Energy Minerals Reform Act of 2023”).
Witnesses:
Dr. Steve Feldgus, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals
Management, U.S. Department of the Interior
Troy Heithecker, Associate Deputy Chief,, U.S. Forest Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture
On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 2:00 p.m., in room 1324 Longworth
House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee
on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold an oversight
hearing
titled “Left in the Dark: Examining the Biden Administration’s Efforts
to Eliminate the Pacific Northwest’s Clean Energy Production.”
Witnesses:
Richard Spinrad, Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere &
NOAA Administrator, U.S. Department of
Commerce [Invited]
Brenda Mallory, Chair, Council on Environmental Quality [Invited]
John Hairston, Administrator & CEO,
Bonneville Power Administration [Invited]
Scott Simms, CEO & Executive Director,
Public Power Council, Portland, OR
Neil Maunu, Executive Director, Pacific Northwest Waterways
Association, Portland, OR
Humaira Falkenberg, Power Resources Manager, Pacific County
PUD, Raymond, WA
Lindsay Slater, VP of Government Relations, Trout Unlimited [Minority
Witness]
On June 26, 2023, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held
an oversight field
hearing
on the lower Snake River dams in Richland, Washington.
On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., in room 1334 Longworth
House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee
on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a legislative
hearing
on the following bills:
H.R. 5482 (Rep. Hageman), “Energy Poverty Prevention and
Accountability Act of 2023”;
H.R. 6474 (Rep. Steel), To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to
expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied
or developed areas; and
H.R. 6481 (Rep. Hageman), To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require
the Secretary of the Interior to reimburse the fee for an expression
of interest if the expression of interest becomes inactive, and for
other purposes.
Witnesses:
Panel I (Bill Sponsors):
Harriet Hageman, Representative, Wyoming’s at large Congressional
District [H.R. 5482, and H.R. 6481]
Michelle Steel, Representative, California’s 45th Congressional
District [H.R. 6474]
H.R.
5482
(Rep. Hageman), “Energy Poverty Prevention and Accountability Act of
2023”
Commissions GAO to identify and report on
the barriers faced by at-risk communities in accessing reliable and
affordable energy.
Requires the OMB to review energy related
regulations to determine if they would substantially burden at-risk
communities.
Requires GAO and
OMB to issue a joint report to Congress on
their findings along with recommendations on how to reduce energy
poverty in at-risk communities.
Requires the CBO to include in any energy
related bill or resolution an estimate of costs to at-risk
communities.
Forces agencies to conduct studies prior to issuing a withdrawal of
federal lands, taking action to delay or deny fossil-fuel leases or
permits, or declaring a moratorium on fossil-fuel production that
demonstrates the action in question will not increase energy poverty.
Requires all agencies include an “Energy Poverty Statement” on the
first page of each rulemaking detailing how the rule will not create
energy poverty in at-risk communities.
Does not mention the harms of pollution.
Does not mention energy efficiency.
H.R.
6474
(Rep. Steel), To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expedite
geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or
developed areas.
Amends Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 by adding
geothermal exploration and development to the categorical exclusions
authorized by that section.
H.R.
6481
(Rep. Hageman), To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require the
Secretary of the Interior to reimburse the fee for an expression of
interest if the expression of interest becomes inactive, and for other
purposes.
Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to require the Secretary of the
Interior to reimburse EOI submitters if the
acreage in the EOI is not offered and the
EOI is cancelled.
Ensures that EOIs remain active for a period of at least 5 years.
On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth
House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee
on Oversight and Investigations will hold an oversight hearing titled
“The Mineral Supply Chain and the New Space Race.”
Eric Sundby, Co-Founder & CEO of TerraSpace,
Executive Director of the Space Force Association
Dr. Greg Autry, Director and Clinical Professor, Space Leadership,
Policy, and Business, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona
State University
Dr. Moses P. Milazzo, Owner of Other Orb, Chief Scientist for
NASA’s Planetary Data Ecosystem [Minority
Witness]
Michelle Hanlon, Executive Director, Center for Air and Space Law, The
University of Mississippi School of Law
On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2128 of the Rayburn
House Office Building, the National Security, Illicit Finance, and
International Financial Institutions Subcommittee of the Financial
Services Committee will hold a
hearing
titled “Restricting RogueState Revenue: Strengthening Energy Sanctions
on Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.”
In 2024, state policymakers have a historic chance to jumpstart clean,
publicly owned energy and good green jobs. For the first time ever, the
federal government will pay tax-exempt entities like state governments,
houses of worship, schools, hospitals, public housing administrators,
public utilities and community organizations to build renewable energy
projects like solar, wind, or electric vehicle charging stations through
the Direct Pay program in the Inflation Reduction Act. This is an
unprecedented opportunity to build sustainable energy infrastructure,
clean up our air and water and create good green jobs. Co-hosted by the
State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Center (CPCC), this
briefing
will show state champions how they can bring Direct Pay to their
communities.
