Chairman Guthrie at CERA Week: Advancing an American Energy Agenda

Recently, Chairman Guthrie joined CERA week in Houston, TX, to discuss the Committee on Energy and Commerce's work to unleash reliable and affordable energy.

The trip provided the opportunity to hear directly from the job creators who are building and operating the energy infrastructure that Americans depend on. The conversations at CERA Week reinforced what's been said during our hearings: that permitting delays and regulatory uncertainty are holding back the investment we need to support dispatchable, baseload power.

Meeting with industry leaders gave the Chairman the opportunity to discuss the challenges facing our grid in real time, from the lessons of Winter Storm Fern to the energy demand needed to ensure America continues to win the race for AI dominance and onshoring of advanced manufacturing.

The discussion also provided an opportunity to highlight House Republicans' efforts to reduce energy costs and strengthen grid reliability. Throughout this Congress, Committee members have advanced commonsense legislation to address affordability, reform the permitting process, and prevent the premature retirement of baseload power plants that keep the lights on-around the clock, every day of the year-for millions of Americans.

Streamlining Permitting and Unleashing American Energy

H.R. 1047, the Guaranteeing Reliability through the Interconnection of Dispatchable Power (GRID Power) Act-Rep. Balderson (OH-12)

• The GRID Power Act provides Regional Transmission Organizations and Independent System Operators with the authority to prioritize projects in the interconnection queue that improve grid reliability and resiliency. By fortifying our grid with reliable sources of energy such as natural gas, coal, nuclear, and hydropower, we can reduce the risk of blackouts or brownouts and ensure we have the energy needed to meet our power demands.
  

H.R. 3062, the Promoting Cross-border Energy Infrastructure Act-Rep. Fedorchak (ND-AL)

• To secure our nation's energy dominance, House Republicans are fighting to streamline the cross-border permitting process. Establishing a more uniform process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities is vital to supporting the import and export of oil and natural gas as well as the transmission of electricity.
  

H.R. 3668, the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act-Rep. Hudson (NC-09)

• Under current law, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is designated as the lead agency for coordinating necessary environmental reviews and associated federal authorizations for interstate natural gas pipelines. Unfortunately, pipeline infrastructure approvals are often delayed due to a lack of coordination - or inaction - among states and other federal agencies involved in the process. In 2026, the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects natural gas demand to reach an all-time high. Now more than ever, it is critical we expand our natural gas pipeline capacity to meet that demand.

• This legislation modernizes the federal permitting process for interstate natural gas pipelines by bolstering FERC's role as the lead agency for environmental reviews as the coordinator of Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality reviews. This legislation will help lower energy costs, provide natural gas to power our economy, and strengthen our nation's energy security.-
  

H.R. 1949, the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2025-Rep. Pfluger (TX-11)

• The U.S. has emerged as the world's number one producer of oil and natural gas and top exporter of LNG, contributing to domestic energy security, substantial economic benefits, and significant diplomatic leverage abroad. H.R. 1949 amends the Natural Gas Act to repeal all DOE restrictions on the import and export of natural gas, effectively overturning the Biden-Harris Administration's attempt to undermine U.S. domestic energy production.
  

H.R. 3109, the Researching Efficient Federal Improvements for Necessary Energy Refining (REFINER) Act-Rep. Latta (OH-05)

• Refinery expansion is key to lowering costs for Americans, unleashing our abundant energy, and bolstering our energy security. The REFINER Act would help ensure we can produce the reliable oil and gas needed to ensure American energy dominance.
  

Protecting Baseload Power and Grid Reliability

H.R. 3616, the Reliable Power Act-Rep. Balderson (OH-12)

• This legislation addresses the threat of rolling blackouts caused by the Biden-Harris Administration's over reliance on wind and solar power by improving federal rulemaking to ensure that future federal regulations that impact power generation will not harm electric reliability.

• The bill amends the Federal Power Act to require FERC review and comment on any federal rules that impact electricity generation during periods of high reliability risks, like the extreme cold we saw this winter, to ensure new rules will not harm electric power reliability.
  

H.R. 3632, the Power Plant Reliability Act-Rep. Griffith (VA-09)

• This legislation enhances existing tools for states and grid operators to contest the closure of power plants in neighboring states if there is an impact to grid reliability. The bill also requires power plants to provide a 5-year notice of any plans to retire.

• The states with the highest electricity prices are overwhelmingly the same states with the most aggressive forms of renewable portfolio standards, and this legislation will help to ensure that baseload power plants don't go offline in the places that need them most.
  

H.R. 3628, the State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act-Rep. Evans (CO-08)

• This legislation would require state Public Utility Commissions to consider requirements for utilities to have sufficient generation from reliable and dispatchable energy sources, such as natural gas, nuclear, coal, and hydropower, over a 10-year period.

• The ongoing reliability crisis facing our nation stems from Democrat policies designed to drive out baseload generation in favor of intermittent wind and solar, harming our ability to onshore manufacturing and burdening households with higher costs.

• Running a grid on wind and solar is akin to paying for two parallel grids, in part, because these energy sources require backup resources when the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine. Residential ratepayers bear the financial burden of these choices.
  

H.R. 3015, the National Coal Council Reestablishment Act-Rep. Rulli (OH-06)

• Permanently reestablishing the National Coal Council supports the baseload power that can provide abundant, affordable, and reliable energy to communities across the United States.
  

Securing Supply Chains for America's Energy Future

H.R. 3638, the Electric Supply Chain Act-Rep. Latta (OH-05)

• The bill would direct the Department of Energy to conduct periodic assessments of supply chain constraints or vulnerabilities that could impact the bulk power system.

• The Biden-Harris Administration's misguided energy agenda furthered our reliance on adversarial nations like China for critical materials and manufacturing for wind turbines, solar panels, and grid components that are needed for intermittent generation resources.

• As our nation's electric system is under strain from premature retirements of baseload power and historic demand increases due to manufacturing growth and emerging technologies, we must ensure our federal government and policy makers are equipped with the necessary tools to protect the affordability and reliability of the bulk power system.
  

H.R. 3617, the Securing America's Critical Minerals Supply Act-Rep. James (MI-10)

• This legislation requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess critical energy resource supply chains and to strengthen the supply chains that are vulnerable to disruption or overreliance on adversarial nations.

• Energy supplies are the linchpin to U.S. global leadership in next generation technologies and industries, job growth in communities across the country, and a robust defense industrial base.

• Despite vast domestic natural resources, the United States remains heavily reliant on foreign adversaries for critical energy resources that are essential to our economic and national security. The U.S. is 100 percent reliant on imports for 12 critical minerals and 50 percent import reliant on an additional 28 critical minerals.
  

The Path Forward

The message from CERA Week was clear, America has the resources to lead the world in energy when burdensome regulations aren't standing in the way. Chairman Guthrie and the Energy and Commerce Committee will continue advancing legislation that cuts red tape, protects reliable baseload generation, and ensures American families and job creators have access to the affordable, reliable power they need.