During a Senate Energy Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) gave opening remarks about pending legislation before the committee.
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NewsTranscript
00:00the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024.
00:04This is a bipartisan bill that Chairman Manchin and I have negotiated with input from members
00:09of this committee over the last year.
00:11The bill is a targeted set of consequential reforms within the committee's jurisdiction.
00:16It's going to boost American energy and mineral production.
00:19It will help lower costs for American families.
00:21It will strengthen our economic and national security and the security of our allies around
00:26the world.
00:28Our bill will guarantee future access to oil and natural gas resources on federal lands
00:32and waters.
00:34It will permanently end President Biden's reckless ban on new liquefied natural gas
00:39exports.
00:40It will fix the disastrous Rosemont decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.
00:46And it will ensure that new transmission lines meaningfully improve electric reliability
00:51and actually benefit customers.
00:53Our bill includes a series of reforms for onshore oil and gas leasing and permitting.
00:58For example, it requires the Secretary of Interior to lease acreage that oil and gas
01:03producers actually want.
01:05It also eliminates duplicative requirements for federal drilling permits on state and
01:09private land.
01:11Even a new administration will not be able to enact these reforms under current law.
01:16Our bill also mandates at least one oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico each
01:21year from 2025 through 2029.
01:25That's five total lease sales.
01:28Each sale offers at least 60 million acres.
01:31Under existing law, a new administration would only be able to hold two lease sales in the
01:35next four years.
01:37Our bill permanently ends President Biden's so-called pause on new American LNG exports.
01:44President Biden's pause has been a gift to Russia and Qatar, the world's other leading
01:50LNG exports.
01:53Our bill requires the Secretary of Energy to act on LNG export applications within 90
01:58days.
01:59If the Secretary fails to act, the application would be deemed approved.
02:03Our bill also secures access to critical minerals on federal lands.
02:07It fixes the Rosemont decision by authorizing mill sites on federal land whether or not
02:12that land has minerals.
02:14It eliminates a legal strategy that opponents have pursued for nearly 30 years to block
02:19access to minerals on federal lands.
02:21Even a new administration would not be able to fix the Rosemont decision under current
02:26law.
02:27Our electric transmission, I followed three principles.
02:30First, any changes to existing law must improve electric reliability.
02:35Second, any changes must not result in more subsidies.
02:39And third, any changes must improve the status quo for states, for electric customers, and
02:45for landowners.
02:46And I believe our bill fulfills these principles.
02:49Our bill eliminates the Secretary of Energy's authority to designate National Interest Electric
02:54Transmission Corridors.
02:56The Secretary's process has become far too political.
03:00It is something that Senator Hawley has rightly opposed.
03:04It's in its place the bill requires a transmission developer to show that the FERC, the Federal
03:10Energy Regulatory Commission, if its proposed line meaningfully improves electric reliability.
03:17Under current law, the commission already has broad authority to allocate the cost of
03:21new transmission lines.
03:22Our bill prohibits the commission from allocating cost to customers who receive little to no
03:27benefit from a new line.
03:29It also requires the commission to consider a specified list of customer benefits that
03:34can be quantified and objectively measured.
03:39Our bill puts guardrails on the commission's next rulemaking.
03:43FERC staff has already begun developing a rule on interregional transmission planning.
03:49Our bill protects the discretion of the 11 existing transmission planning regions.
03:55Our bill makes it more likely that neighboring regions will only support lines necessary
03:59to improve electric reliability.
04:03I want to thank the Chairman and his entire staff for their patience and their perseverance.
04:08We would not be here today without their efforts.
04:10Our negotiations were not easy.
04:13Many points along the way, at many points, it was far from clear that we would ever reach
04:17an agreement.
04:18And even now, I know members want to do more, especially on hydropower.
04:22And you have my commitment that we will keep working on it.
04:25Despite the expectations of many, we have put together what I believe is a very strong
04:31piece of legislation before us.
04:33And for that reason, I encourage all members of the committee to support it.
04:36Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
04:37Thank you, Senator.
04:38Now that we do have a quorum, and we're going to vote on the nomination to be Deputy Secretary
04:44of Interior in Shannon Estinos.
04:46The question is on the favorability of reporting the nomination of Shannon to be Deputy Secretary
04:50of the Interior.
04:51Would the recommendation of the nomination be confirmed?
04:53The clerk will call the roll.
04:56Mr. Manchin.
04:57Aye.
04:58Mr. Wyden.
04:59Aye.
05:00Ms. Cantwell.
05:01Aye.
05:02By proxy.
05:03Mr. Sanders.
05:04Aye.
05:05By proxy.
05:06Mr. Heinrich.
05:08Aye.
05:09Ms. Herrono.
05:10Aye.
05:11Mr. King.
05:12Aye.
05:13Ms. Cortez-Masto.
05:14Aye.
05:15Mr. Hickenlooper.
05:16Aye.
05:17Mr. Padilla.
05:18Aye.
05:19Mr. Barrasso.
05:20Aye.
05:21Mr. Risch.
05:22Aye.
05:23Mr. Lee.
05:24Aye.
05:25By proxy.
05:26Mr. Daines.
05:27Aye.
05:28Ms. Murkowski.
05:29No.
05:30Mr. Holbin.
05:31Lee is no, by proxy.
05:32No, I'm sorry.
05:33Lee is no.
05:40Lee is no, by proxy.
05:47And Mr. Holbin.
05:48Aye, by proxy.
05:52Mr. Cassidy.
05:53Aye, by proxy.
05:56Mrs. Hyde-Smith.
05:59Mr. Hawley.
06:00On this vote, the ayes are 16 and the noes are 3.
06:18With that, she is accepted and being confirmed.
06:21Mr. Chairman, I ask that my statement on her be admitted to the record.
06:25Absolutely.
06:26Objection?
06:27Mr. Chairman, I would just like to note for the record that my no vote on Ms. Estinaz
06:34is not reflective of the woman that I had an opportunity to meet with in my office.
06:40It is absolutely reflective on the fact that I don't believe that under this administration
06:46we're going to see any better policies out of the Department of Interior when it comes to the state of Alaska.
06:52And so I can't support her this morning.
06:56Duly noted.
06:57Mr. Chairman?
06:58Senator Jaynes?
06:59So I voted yes.
07:00I have a statement to submit for the record, please.
07:03Absolutely.
07:04Without objection?
07:08We're going to turn to the Senate Bill 4753, the Energy Permitting Reform Act.
07:13Before I do so, I think there's some opening statements people would like to make.
07:16If you could keep it two minutes, it would be very appreciative when we get to the bill.
07:20Senator Wyden.
07:21Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
07:23Mr. Chairman and colleagues, we made history in 2022 with respect to energy.