On Tuesday, May 17th, The House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change held a hearing to review the FY 2023 budget for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The sole witness in the hearing was EPA Administrator Michael Regan.
Below are key takeaways from the hearing prepared by Delta Strategy Group.
Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY):
- The EPA must build upon the bipartisan infrastructure package by pursuing ambitious enforcement and regulatory agenda. The EPA has significant existing legal mandates and authorities to tackle climate change and traditional air pollution.
Subcommittee Ranking Member David McKinley (R-WV):
- Attempting to power energy grids entirely with renewable energy by 2035 is a goal-driven by ideology, not science, and it will result in a complete collapse of our energy infrastructure. President Biden and the EPA’s focus remains on increasing regulations instead of addressing the pending energy crisis we are facing due to the Ukraine crisis. The EPA should not continue to pursue such an aggressive renewable energy agenda because it is not commercially viable. In an attempt to mitigate the impact of this energy crisis, utility groups have been attempting to utilize aging power plants, but they are being hindered by overly aggressive EPA regulations.
Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ):
- The budget includes $1.1 billion dollars for the EPA to improve our nation’s air quality by developing and enforcing critical safeguards and funding research. The budget also prioritizes programs to tackle climate change by cutting methane pollution from oil and gas sources and implementing the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act.
Committee Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA):
- This administration’s radical climate agenda will distract the EPA from ensuring that existing standards and programs are implemented and succeed. The EPA’s overreaching regulations have threatened Americans’ jobs and the economy.
- President Biden’s inflation crisis calls for more responsible federal budgets, but the EPA is requesting significantly more funding than last fiscal year.
Representative Dusty Johnson (R-OH):
- I am concerned about the growing electricity shortage warnings across the country. EPA regulations have caused closures of coal plants and coal is one of the only two alternatives to make up the shortfall. Premature coal retirements compromised grid reliability and temporary blackouts will likely happen. The EPA should consider feedback from states and grid operators before additional rulemaking.
Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC):
- The EPA should work to instill regulatory certainty for groups that want to build pipelines to provide natural gas and other resources for energy production units.
Michael Regan, Administrator, EPA:
- With the proposed $11.9 billion dollar budget request, the EPA would advance key priorities including tackling the climate crisis and rebuilding core functions at the agency to support and keep pace with the growing economy.
- The EPA focuses on controlling the carbon emissions that we see in our economy through energy efficiency, wind, solar, battery storage, and other processes. We need an advanced natural gas infrastructure in place as well, as a suite of options to have carbon capture and storage if we are going to win the 21st
- The EPA is trying to be responsible and engage with our energy industry by providing regulatory certainty and focusing on technological solutions. I have been working very transparently with the oil and gas sector on the rules that are coming forward so they can have certainty in their investments.