House Republicans Seize the Initiative on Energy

E arlier this week, House Republicans unveiled their first big move of the 118th Congress: a major energy package dubbed the Lower Energy Costs Act.

Predictably, Democrats are already dismissing the effort as a “wishlist for big oil,” in the words of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Major environmental groups are also taking a swing, calling it a “dirty energy bill” that will “raise costs and perpetuate the climate crisis.”

This rhetoric is misleading. While China recently announced record coal-plant approvals, the Biden administration has done everything in its power to hamstring American energy production: from canceling Keystone XL on day one to delaying crucial oil and gas auctions. The recent approval of the Willow Project in Alaska was an anomaly; begging countries such as Saudi Arabia and Venezuela for more oil has been the norm.

H.R.1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, is the House GOP’s riposte. It seeks to unleash American-made energy and streamline burdensome regulations holding the industry back. Much to the chagrin of progressive environmentalists and Democrats in Congress, this bill acknowledges the reality that the world still needs oil and gas in addition to clean-energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, and nuclear energy.

While H.R.1 will likely go through several iterations before it’s able to pass both the House and the Senate, it’s a strong start to important conversations we must have about energy needs in the United States and around the world. After all, both Republicans and Democrats agree that we must modernize our antiquated energy permitting process to achieve energy and environmental goals.

Permitting reform, and specifically the permitting reform in H.R.1, not only focuses on unlocking American natural-gas production, but also enables clean-energy projects — which are disproportionately held back by permitting delays — to be built much faster. Similarly, it bolsters critical mineral mining, which is crucial for everything from military and health-care equipment to clean-energy technologies such as electric-vehicle batteries. We currently rely on China for upward of 80 percent of these materials, partially because it takes nearly a decade to permit a mine in the United States.

Activists like to brand this as “dismantling” the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and eroding key environmental protections. They rarely acknowledge, however, that NEPA was created in 1970 for the energy grid we had in 1970. Fast-forward over 50 years, and it’s evident that the process must be modernized to reflect today’s energy needs. Recognizing this fact is not anti-environment, it’s anti-outdated government regulation.

To write off H.R.1 as a bill that only prioritizes fossil energy is not only incorrect, but also out of step with the American public. Just after the 2022 midterms, polling my organization conducted found that a majority of Americans across demographics want energy affordability and climate to be prioritized in tandem. Earlier last year, Pew Research Center found that two-thirds of Americans believe we need a mix of renewables and fossil energy. It’s clear that the only realistic way forward is an all-of-the-above approach.

The United States must produce energy of all kinds and export its surplus to the rest of the world. Currently, the Chinese Communist Party is spreading its influence to developing countries by financing energy projects such as coal power plants and critical mineral mines. The United States can thwart this nefarious agenda by stepping in as the dominant energy producer on the world stage, and H.R.1 would be instrumental in helping us get there. Not only that, but the bill’s reforms will also reap environmental benefits, especially considering that U.S. energy production is much cleaner than in other countries and can help reduce global emissions.

Ultimately, the House GOP’s energy package is a good first step in the right direction. Rather than engaging in technological tribalism and taking cheap political shots, Democrats and environmental groups should work with Republicans to pass key legislation that bolsters energy security, reduces prices, and protects the environment.