Upton, Flores energy reform bills among measures approved by subcommittee

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy recently advanced five bills that strengthen the nation’s energy security and modernize energy infrastructure, including legislation introduced by U.S. Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Bill Flores (R-TX).

U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), the chairman of the full committee, praised passage of the bills as an important step in putting consumers’ interests first. Upton, the chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, said markup of the five bills on Thursday moved the nation closer to an updated energy infrastructure and fewer barriers to economic development.

“It builds on our impressive record of addressing energy security, job creation, emergency preparedness and infrastructure protection,” Upton said. “Elevating energy security planning and emergency preparedness is important and timely. Whether it’s a storm that knocks out power to millions of homes and businesses or attempted hacking of our energy grid — we must be prepared.”

Upton’s Enhancing State Energy Security Planning and Emergency Preparedness Act would step-up emergency planning requirements outlined in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, and give states more capabilities to protect the country’s energy infrastructure and to mitigate risks.

“Prioritizing and elevating energy security planning and emergency preparedness is an important and timely step in the face of increased risks and interdependencies of energy infrastructure and end-use systems,” Upton said.

The Hydropower Policy Modernization Act, meanwhile, would improve the hydropower licensing process by designating the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as the lead agency overseeing hydropower projects and encourage more hydropower production.

“Hydropower is of particular importance to me,” Walden said. “In my home state of Oregon, over 40 percent of our energy is produced from hydropower at relatively low costs to consumers across my district.”

The Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act, which was authored by Flores, would enhance coordination between FERC and other agencies in siting interstate natural gas pipelines, and it would promote transparency by requiring the public disclosure of additional information.

“America is one of the world’s top oil and gas producers thanks to the shale revolution,” Flores said. “Our energy infrastructure and permitting process must be updated to reflect America’s abundance of domestic energy resources. Modernizing the permitting process for the nation’s pipeline infrastructure allows us to efficiently and safely bring those resources to our downstream assets, ultimately to consumers, to power our economy, and to give opportunities to our hard-working American families.”

Additional measures approved by the subcommittee would amend the Federal Power Act to promote the development of small conduit hydropower facilities and would create a more transparent permitting process for cross-border pipelines and electric transmission facilities.

“Cumulatively, these bills represent an important step in our efforts to put consumers’ interest first while working to enact reforms that build on our energy infrastructure, and grow our economy and create good jobs,” Walden concluded. “I look forward to continuing to work in a bipartisan manner as we track towards a full committee markup.”