During Wednesday’s House Appropriations Committee hearing, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) questioned Energy Secretary Chris Wright about the department’s inability to comply with congressional oversight requests.
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00:03At this time, Mr. Secretary, I would like to recognize the Ranking Member of the full
00:10Appropriations Committee, Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut.
00:15Ranking Member.
00:16Thank you very, very much, Mr. Chairman and the Ranking Member captor and welcome to you,
00:21Mr. Secretary.
00:22Delighted.
00:23I apologize to my colleagues for interloping, but there are five hearings I'm trying to
00:26get to today.
00:27And this is the second.
00:31Let me just talk about the budget for 2026, which makes strategic investments that lower
00:40energy costs for American families, promote American energy independence, support a robust
00:46modern manufacturing sector.
00:49I want to know more about the funding that's already been appropriated in law.
00:54The fiscal year 2025 continuing resolution required the Department of Energy to submit
01:00a spend plan for the department at a level of detail provided for in the previous year's
01:08explanatory statement within 45 days of the enacted legislation.
01:14legislation.
01:15The department has not met this deadline and did not submit to the committee a spend plan.
01:21We were supposed to get spend plans by the end of April at the level of detail as required
01:27by law in the continuing resolution.
01:29legislation.
01:30It shouldn't be a difficult exercise since it's the fiscal year 2024 energy and water bill
01:37included the Department of Energy funding tables into law.
01:42It dictates all the programs, project activity levels for DOE except for the three accounts exempted
01:50by the continuing resolution so that we have the blueprint.
01:54Because by law for 2025, we are under the year long CR reflecting the 2024 budget as enacted.
02:05So when will the department comply with the requirement of the continuing resolution to submit a spend
02:10plan with required level of detail?
02:13Will that spend plan follow the law by using all levels incorporated into statute from the
02:19fiscal year 2024 energy and water bill?
02:22Yes.
02:24Thank you for being here, Congresswoman DeLauro.
02:28And I've spoken to this a little bit beforehand, but I can summarize that as well.
02:32When I walked into the department, I mentioned we had a rushed commitment just in the loan
02:38program office of a hundred billion dollars in the 76 days from election day in November
02:44to inauguration day.
02:46So we are funding and paying all of our bills that are current for work done.
02:51But do we know whether the projects that we have are going to meet the next hurdle to
02:55go on to the next step?
02:57We do not know that.
02:58Well, let me just say and I just because I want to ask another question.
03:01But the requirement by law under the continuing resolution was to provide the appropriations
03:08committee with a spend plan as to how you want to, for 2025, spend this money.
03:15As I say, it shouldn't be difficult because we're under 2024 and it is all outlined in 2024.
03:23So I really want to press you on getting us that spend plan with detail so we know where
03:30we're trying to go in 2025 because we haven't settled that budget yet given a year long continuing
03:38resolution, which was very specific about getting us the material and how you intend to spend
03:44the money in 2025.
03:46Again, simple.
03:47It's 2024.
03:48You can carry it over.
03:50I've got a fear that we're going to lawless illegally trying to move these funds and move them elsewhere.
04:00But the law of the land is the 2024 enacted budget applied to 2025.
04:08So really, we're going to press on getting that.
04:10Let me move quickly to another question if I can at the moment.
04:17And I want to talk about what's happening right now.
04:21We need to know more about the funding already appropriated into law.
04:24It's not a directive.
04:27It's not an idea or a suggestion.
04:29This committee, Democrats and Republicans, came together, passed legislation, signed by
04:34the President of the United States.
04:35That's how a bill becomes law.
04:37It's very, very simple.
04:39But the department refuses to release more than $67 billion in the face of court orders out
04:45of the $430 billion in frozen funding across the federal government.
04:49Medicaid, $70 million of Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy Awards have been inexplicably recommended
04:55for cancellation, including an award focused on technologies to produce hydrogen energy.
05:00We should be at the forefront of new energy technology, not retreating to the sidelines.
05:05In addition, your department recommended cancelling a $389 million award from the Grid Deployment
05:11Office for the Power Up New England project, produce energy costs for New England customers
05:16by over $1.5 billion, while bringing 4,800 megawatts of offshore wind power online.
05:23It appears that some projects previously deemed worthy of funding are being cancelled without
05:29adequate justification.
05:31Some cases, no clear rationale, other than administrative convenience.
05:36Troubling reports have surfaced suggesting that the review and subsequent cancellations may
05:41be, and I say may be, politically motivated.
05:44These actions will raise energy prices for businesses and families and make the U.S. less competitive.
05:52These are my two questions, and again, it's yes or no.
05:55Can you provide to this committee a list of awards that are being considered or recommended
06:01for cancellation?
06:02Yeah, you listed a couple that have been recommended for cancellation.
06:06Fine, because we can't seem to get the information, that's why I wanted to ask you directly, and
06:12I appreciate that.
06:13Well, that would be great, but getting that list of considered or recommended for cancellation,
06:18and what specific criteria is being used to evaluate awards.
06:24We need to know that in this committee so we can say, yes, you've made a good decision on
06:28this, or let's take another look at this.
06:31So with that, if you can get us that information as quickly as possible, it would be helpful,
06:35and your spend plan.
06:39You bet.
06:40Thank you, Congresswoman.
06:41Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.