House energy committee passes grid modernization bill
Spanning multiple Congresses and political parties, the Energy and Commerce Committee is celebrating the passage out of broad energy legislation that envisions an “architecture of abundance” while also seeking to protect crucial infrastructure.
In a statement, Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) said the vote “marks an important milestone as we work to update our laws for a new era of abundance. … We will continue working toward building a bipartisan consensus as our goal remains getting something to the president’s desk that will be signed into law. We are on to the floor.”
The legislation calls for reinvesting in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and hardening and modernizing energy infrastructure to withstand cyber attacks, severe weather, and electromagnetic pulse attacks. The bill would also streamline the approval of LNG exports and by provide improved coordination on energy diplomacy issues with Canada and Mexico.
The bill would also extend existing federal building energy efficiency improvement targets, and would require the Department of Energy (DOE) to review the results of the implementation of energy performance requirements and to “analyze the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of extending the energy savings targets.”
