Upton requests info on rising energy prices

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) helped lead 25 Republican members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee in voicing “serious concerns” to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) about rapidly rising energy prices and their negative impact on the U.S. economy, inflation and household bills.

“With predictions of a colder than usual winter this year, we want to understand as soon as possible what actions you and the department are taking to prepare for what could be a perfect storm of a cold winter, high and unaffordable energy prices, and supply disruptions,” wrote Rep. Upton and his committee colleagues in an Oct. 14 letter sent to U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.

In a related statement released on Oct. 15, Rep. Upton noted that when he was the former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, members “fought to make America energy independent with common-sense policies — and we succeeded.”

“Now, misguided attempts to shut down pipelines and import oil from foreign countries are causing gas prices to soar and inflation to skyrocket,” he said. “The Biden administration must be held to account for their efforts to make our country far more reliant on foreign producers instead of supporting our domestic oil and gas industry that would lower heating bills and gas prices for millions of Americans.”

Since Biden has been in office, the prices of crude oil and many energy commodities have risen to seven-year highs, with prices for retail gasoline, natural gas and propane also soaring during the last year-and-a-half, wrote the committee members, who also included U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Bob Latta (R-OH), Michael Burgess (R-TX), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Steve Scalise (R-LA), Bill Johnson (R-OH), Billy Long (R-MO), Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Buddy Carter (R-GA), John Curtis (R-UT), John Joyce (R-PA), and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND).

“We are deeply concerned that the administration’s anti-fossil fuel agenda is significantly contributing to higher bills for American families and businesses,” they wrote. “The pace and trajectory of domestic energy price increases presents serious threats to the health, safety and welfare of Americans and requires urgent attention.”

Rep. Upton and the lawmakers asked Granholm to answer several questions by Oct. 21, including what specific actions DOE is taking or plans to take to address energy prices and supply shortages ahead of the upcoming winter, and DOE’s current analysis and projections for residential and commercial electricity and fuel prices during the winter.

Among several other questions, they also asked Granholm to provide an assessment of recent executive actions, federal policies and any regulations that may be causing or contributing to energy price increases, and to provide the committee with monthly updates forecasting the best available information on residential energy price trends, rate impacts on low-income households, and DOE actions to mitigate energy price increases.