VIDEO: Heinrich Delivers Opening Remarks in Hearing to Consider Wright for Energy Secretary

WASHINGTON - During his opening remarks to consider Chris Wright for the U.S. Secretary of Energy, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, stressed the need for the U.S. Secretary of Energy to recognize New Mexico's critical contributions to American energy, highlighting the significance of Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories to energy production, national security, and cybersecurity, confronting the climate crisis, the economy, and our nation's leadership.

Heinrich additionally stressed the need for the Secretary of Energy to adapt to a rapidly evolving energy landscape and implement the historic investments Congress passed to unlock American energy dominance driven by next generation advanced energy technologies.

Heinrich began his remarks by expressing his frustration that Chairman Mike Lee (R-U.T.) decided to move forward with today's hearing despite the Committee receiving critical information on Mr. Wright - financial disclosures and ethics documents - just 16 hours before the hearing. This comes after numerous attempts, including a formal letter from Heinrich and all eight Democrats and one Independent on the Committee, to ensure there is sufficient time to review submitted documents.

"I must express my disappointment that the Chair has decided to move forward with this hearing over my objection that he has short changed his constitutional obligation to share critical oversight documents with the Ranking Member with adequate review time," said Ranking Member Heinrich. "Late last evening, my staff finally received critical documents that are required by our Committee rules and under the law. This missing information is essential to evaluate any nominees' potential conflicts of interest, financial holdings both foreign and domestic, questionable ties to other nations, and susceptibility to blackmail, among other significant concerns."

Senator Heinrich's full remarks as prepared for delivery are below.

Thank you, Chairman Lee.

Welcome to the new Members of this Committee, and returning Members.

It is an honor to address you today as the newly appointed Ranking Member of this Committee.

I am honored to represent a state whose economy and identity are so deeply connected to DOE's mission. Sandia and Los Alamos rank among the state's largest employers, offering stable, mission-driven jobs to nearly 30,000 people.

In 2023, their combined economic impact on the state reached nearly 9 billion dollars.

These investments have fueled research, development, and scientific progress, driving global advancements in fields such as nuclear science, cybersecurity, clean energy, and materials science.

Before continuing with my remarks, I must express my disappointment that the Chair has decided to move forward with this hearing over my objection that he has short changed his constitutional obligation to share critical oversight documents with the Ranking Member with adequate review time.

Late last evening, my staff finally received critical documents that are required by our Committee rules and under the law.

This missing information is essential to evaluate any nominees' potential conflicts of interest, financial holdings both foreign and domestic, questionable ties to other nations, and susceptibility to blackmail, among other significant concerns.

Many other Senate Committees waited to notice their hearing until all the required paperwork had been received and members had adequate time to review.

Giving members less than 24 hours to review these documents, most of them occurring at night, does not fulfill this Committee's duties to "advice and consent" on nominations before it.

Mr. Wright, it is unfortunate that our first order of business involved breaking Committee precedents.

Nevertheless, because my concerns have gone unheeded, we shall proceed.

Some Secretaries in years past have even been surprised to learn that almost half DOE's budget supports the nation's nuclear security enterprise through the National Nuclear Security's Administration and the cleanup of legacy nuclear waste from weapons production during the Cold War through the Office of Environmental Management.

And although only a fraction of its budget goes to energy research, DOE is still the largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences, not just through the Office of Science, but also through the Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Program, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency.

The Secretary of Energy must recognize the importance of DOE's research and development programs and the National Labs, not just for energy production, but also for efficient energy use, national security, cybersecurity, climate change, and maintaining our position of leadership in the world.

The Secretary of Energy must also adapt to a rapidly evolving energy landscape, driven by three empirical trends:

First, electricity demand is growing. Advances in generative artificial intelligence technologies, and investments in manufacturing and data centers are driving up electricity demand. Nationwide electric demand is expected to grow by 15 percent in the next 5 years.

Second, distributed renewable energy is getting cheaper.

The deployment of renewable energy continues to accelerate exponentially, consistently outpacing EIA predictions year over year.

The pace of this deployment is driving down energy costs-giving Americans more "energy freedom" to choose how they want to heat and cool their homes and fuel their cars and trucks.

Third, clean energy is driving economic growth. According to International Energy Agency, clean energy accounted for 10 percent of global GDP growth in 2023.

If confirmed, Mr. Wright, you will inherit a Department that has received historic levels of federal investments to fund programs and policies that are transforming the U.S economy.

These programs and policies were authorized by landmark legislation, including the Energy Act of 2020, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

And those investments are paying off:

Two years after CHIPS and Science, companies have announced more than 395 billion dollars of investments in semiconductors and electronics and the creation of over 115,000 jobs.

Two years after passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, businesses, including battery manufactures and auto companies, have announced 493 billion dollars of investments, a 71 percent increase from the two-year period preceding the legislation.

And three years after the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Administration announced $568 billion for over 66,000 projects across the country in November.

These landmark laws gave the Secretary of Energy new resources and authorities to implement programs and policies that will unlock hundreds of gigawatts' worth of solar, wind, and grid battery projects stuck in interconnection queues all around the country.

This hearing will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate to the Committee that you will implement Congress' vision of energy abundance, and enforce and uphold the laws of the land. I look forward to the discussion.

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