Latest news with #SenateEnergyandNaturalResourcesCommittee
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Heinrich: ‘Republicans are going to own increased energy prices'
Democrats are going to make increasing energy prices an issue for Republicans in the next election cycles, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member Martin Heinrich said Tuesday. President Donald Trump promised to bring down energy prices during his campaign, but congressional Republicans are threatening to cut incentives for renewable energy and battery projects. The lack of new electricity generation projects plus rising demand from AI data centers and greater volumes of natural gas for export threaten to increase electricity bills for U.S. consumers, the New Mexico Democrat said during the POLITICO Energy Summit. 'We're in a constrained supply environment and an increased demand environment,' Heinrich said. 'People's electricity bills all over the country are going to go up. What I can guarantee you is in the next election and the election after that Republicans are going to own increased energy prices.' Natural gas prices could rise 25 percent next year as LNG exports rise faster than drillers can produce the resource, Bank of America analysts wrote. And tech companies are building data centers that consume huge amounts of electricity. Republicans are trying to rescind government support for new solar and wind power projects in their reconciliation bill. Meanwhile, power plants fed by nuclear energy and natural gas can take years to build. 'If you're not building renewables and storage over the next five years, you're only artificially increasing the cost of electricity everywhere,' Heinrich said. 'I don't think consumers are going to stand for that. There's going to be an enormous political price to pay for that. People will see it and feel it in their electricity bills.'
Politico
a day ago
- Business
- Politico
Heinrich: ‘Republicans are going to own increased energy prices'
Democrats are going to make increasing energy prices an issue for Republicans in the next election cycles, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member Martin Heinrich said Tuesday. President Donald Trump promised to bring down energy prices during his campaign, but congressional Republicans are threatening to cut incentives for renewable energy and battery projects. The lack of new electricity generation projects plus rising demand from AI data centers and greater volumes of natural gas for export threaten to increase electricity bills for U.S. consumers, the New Mexico Democrat said during the POLITICO Energy Summit. 'We're in a constrained supply environment and an increased demand environment,' Heinrich said. 'People's electricity bills all over the country are going to go up. What I can guarantee you is in the next election and the election after that Republicans are going to own increased energy prices.' Natural gas prices could rise 25 percent next year as LNG exports rise faster than drillers can produce the resource, Bank of America analysts wrote. And tech companies are building data centers that consume huge amounts of electricity. Republicans are trying to rescind government support for new solar and wind power projects in their reconciliation bill. Meanwhile, power plants fed by nuclear energy and natural gas can take years to build. 'If you're not building renewables and storage over the next five years, you're only artificially increasing the cost of electricity everywhere,' Heinrich said. 'I don't think consumers are going to stand for that. There's going to be an enormous political price to pay for that. People will see it and feel it in their electricity bills.'
Toronto Sun
23-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
In Ottawa, U.S. senators push trade, Canadian tourism to their states
Published May 23, 2025 • 1 minute read U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) speaks during a confirmation hearing for former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum , President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Interior, before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 16, 2025 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Photo by Alex Wong / Getty Images OTTAWA — Five United States senators are in Ottawa today to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney and underscore the long-standing relationship between the two countries. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Republican Kevin Cramer dismissed the current tensions between Canada and the U.S. as a temporary bump in the road. The delegation also includes Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Tim Kaine, Amy Klobuchar and Peter Welch. They say they want Canadians to continue to visit the United States ahead of the summer season and are stressing how important trade with Canada is for the states they represent. The senators were also scheduled to meet with the ministers of foreign affairs, national defence and industry, as well as the Business Council of Canada. The visit comes at a fractious time in Canada-U.S. relations, with the two countries embroiled in a trade war triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists Toronto Maple Leafs Canada World
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gavel in hand, here are Mike Lee's plans for the Senate energy committee
WASHINGTON — The hearing began without much fuss or fanfare. Senators quietly took their spots in their semicircular seating arrangements as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, banged the gavel against the wooden desk. It was a short business meeting for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to consider a handful of lower-level nominations. It was mostly quick and efficient. But in other ways, it was cordial — at times, even playful. 'I'm told that we have colleagues in the building traveling to the committee hearing room by way of Neptune, apparently,' Lee said with a smile as committee action was paused due to the absence of some members. 'We will patiently await them. Sen. (Jim) Risch has offered to do a song and dance routine,' Lee added, prompting laughter from the room. It was a rare moment of levity in a usually stoic institution. But it offers a glimpse into Lee's leadership style and how he plans to guide his party through difficult challenges ahead. Lee is confident his conservative values, as well as his close relationship with President Donald Trump, will help with that. To the untrained eye, Lee is quite the enigma. He is prolific on social media, with the Utah senator posting several times an hour with seemingly no topic left untouched. But in the halls of Congress, Lee carries himself a bit differently — he walks briskly through the hallways, rarely stopping to chat with reporters he is not familiar with. When he does engage with questions, Lee carefully considers his words. This is a contrast from his online persona, but is emblematic of his background in law: cautious, calculated, deliberate. That lesser-known personality is the key to Lee's modus operandi. Although he is not known for being a bipartisan dealmaker, Lee has occasionally crossed the aisle on issues such as sentencing reform — and the Utah senator has good relationships with some Democrats despite policy disagreements. 'I'm looking forward to continuing to work with Sen. Mike Lee to deliver for the people and places of New Mexico, Utah, and all of America,' Sen. Martin Heinrich, Lee's Democratic counterpart on the committee, told the Deseret News. 'I've always believed in working across the aisle — especially when it comes to protecting access to our public lands." Lee was tapped as Energy and Natural Resources chairman at the beginning of this year, taking over the powerful committee at a crucial time for Republicans. Utah's senior senator has big plans for the committee, particularly when it comes to issues such as public lands and permitting reform. 'A lot of our Western communities have managed public lands with unmatched expertise for generations and have been able to balance multiple interests from ranching, grazing, recreation and conservation,' Lee told the Deseret News in an interview. 'We've achieved this despite sometimes hostile, overbearing federal policies that can distort that balance and threaten our way of life.' The issue of public lands is expected to become a flashpoint in the coming weeks as some Republicans push to sell thousands of acres of federally-owned land in Utah and Nevada in the party's upcoming reconciliation package. Lee has advocated to sell or transfer public lands for years, pushing instead to allow the state to control the roughly 35 million acres of federally-owned land in the Beehive State, roughly 67% of the state. Other Republicans have supported selling the land or to increase federal revenue by greenlighting new oil and gas leases. Making those changes will be challenging. A handful of Republicans have already opposed any proposals to sell public lands due to conservation and environmental concerns. 'There's a lot of frustration down in the West. I understand that,' Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., who co-founded the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus, said last week. 'But I prefer the management scheme. And I give an example as a hotel — if you don't like the management of a hotel, don't sell the hotel. Change the management. That's where I sit on that position.' The public lands issue could also put Lee at odds with ranking member Heinrich, who told the Deseret News one of his top priorities would be to 'keep public lands in public hands.' 'It is also vitally important that we make sure that hardworking families can continue to access their public lands, whether it's for hunting, fishing, hiking or just clearing their minds,' Heinrich said. 'The work we do on this committee is about building a stronger future for our kids — we must do that by working together to advance smart energy policy, keep public lands in public hands, and pursuing common-sense collaboration.' Another key issue Lee will need to navigate as part of the reconciliation process includes intraparty disagreements over what to do with former President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act. Several Republicans have been adamant they want to eliminate the IRA in full, including Lee. However, some GOP lawmakers in both the House and Senate are pushing to preserve a handful of green energy credits, warning that a full repeal would result in higher utility costs nationwide. Lee said he is aware of those concerns and that conversations are ongoing to address them. But he cautioned against cherrypicking parts of the law to uphold while discarding others. 'I know there's a wide range of opinions on this,' Lee said. 'I think the minute you start trying to draw perimeter lines around certain projects, it's going to be very difficult to contain the damage.' The Republicans wary of repealing the law in full include Utah Sen. John Curtis, who recently signed on to a letter against a full repeal, warning it could lead to 'significant disruptions' and weaken the United States on the global stage. However, Curtis told the Deseret News he and Lee have been able to have 'good conversations about energy policy and where things go in reconciliation and beyond.' 'Utahns are fortunate to have Sen. Lee as chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and have a seat at the table when it comes to the management of our public land,' Curtis said. 'Our rural communities face incredible burdens because of decisions made by bureaucrats in Washington.' Lee also noted the IRA originally passed Congress with only Democratic votes, arguing Republicans should not 'be eager to do their work for them in keeping any of that in there.' Overall, Lee said his main focus on the committee is to rein in the power of the federal government to ensure fewer decisions are made by 'unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats,' which he says often costs taxpayers more money. As part of those efforts, Lee has made it a top priority to pass the Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act, or REINS Act, that seeks to change how regulations are passed and implemented in the federal government. The bill would require regulations with an economic impact of $100 million or more to be approved by Congress, giving lawmakers more control over how agencies operate. Lee has heavily pushed for the REINS Act for years, arguing it is crucial to rein in the federal government and reestablish separation of powers. 'If Congress had to vote on many of the same regulations that are costing taxpayers that much money, most of those couldn't pass because people would realize at some point it's overkill to adopt such exacting standards when it's not at all clear what benefit we're gaining from it and how that benefit matches up against the cost,' Lee told the Deseret News. Lee also plans to focus much of his time on permitting reform, which he said would be 'one of the most important things that we'll do through the Energy and Natural Resources Committee in this Congress.' Lee has long expressed a desire to streamline the permitting process to boost energy production, telling the Deseret News he wants to not only reform the authorization phase — which lawmakers spend a majority of their time on, he said — but also the build-out phase, which encompasses the actual construction of projects that are approved. Although Trump's reconciliation package has occupied most discussions in Congress over the last five months, Lee said talks about permitting reform are already underway and will likely ramp up in the coming months. Aside from his work on energy and natural resources, Lee is known for his conservative voting record and close relationship with the White House. Lee has positioned himself as one of Trump's most vocal supporters in Congress and this has allowed him to wield strong influence in the Senate. Lee said that relationship has been 'very helpful' in taking over the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, noting the president is 'very bullish on energy.' 'Every time I need to get him personally on something, I'm always able to reach him very quickly,' Lee told the Deseret News. That ease of access, Lee said, is sure to help with the forthcoming reconciliation package on issues that are likely to drive a wedge between Republican lawmakers. 'Where there is a difference of opinion within the party … it can be helpful to have somebody who can exercise leadership in resolving the dispute,' Lee said. On issues such as disagreements on the Inflation Reduction Act and green energy tax credits, Trump will 'absolutely' be able to find consensus. 'Very often the president can be the one to resolve disputes among members of his party in Congress,' Lee said.
E&E News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
Panels taking up DOE, Interior, Agriculture nominees
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will question more nominees for the Interior and Energy departments this week as other picks await action on the floor. The panel will hold a confirmation hearing on William Doffermyre to become Interior's top lawyer. Democrats are likely to question the energy industry executive's past defending the oil and gas industry. For DOE, the committee will hear from Catherine Jereza to become assistant secretary for electricity and Kyle Haustveit to become assistant secretary for fossil energy. Advertisement Jereza worked for the Edison Electric Institute, which represents utilizes, and is already at the department as an adviser. Haustveit has been a longtime executive for Oklahoma-based Devon Energy.
