Pro-consumer, pro-environmental energy solutions are attainable

OPINION:

When President Biden was sworn into office, a gallon of gas cost $2.39. Today, the price is 44% higher, at $3.44. In June of 2022, the price per gallon exceeded $5.00. This winter, American families are expected to pay the highest energy costs in more than 15 years. These dramatic spikes are not a fluke, but rather the result of deliberate policies designed to destroy domestic energy production in favor of a rush to green agenda.

These policies have taken a significant toll on constituents who can least afford to absorb the increases. One of my constituents, Patricia is an 84 year-old resident of Hudson, Florida, who lives on a very restricted income with her 62 year-old disabled daughter. Their electric bill has gone up an average of $50.00 per month in the past year. In Florida, where the summers have always been long and hot, their electricity rates are expected to climb even higher. When coupled with other inflationary increases in the price of food and medicine, this mother-daughter duo has faced severe financial hardship. Daniel owns a lawn business in my district. Skyrocketing fuel prices have forced him to restrict his service territory and increase his rates by 30%. Another constituent, Brian, owns a small trucking company. His costs have gone up 70% since 2020, primarily due to the surge in energy costs. He is worried about being forced to close. These are just three stories of constituents who are struggling and need relief now.

The good news is that the House just passed the Lower Energy Costs Act. This critical bill will provide relief to consumers by: reversing the anti-energy policies of the Biden administration, reforming the permitting process, boosting domestic energy production, streamlining energy infrastructure and exports, and supporting the production and processing of critical minerals. Specifically, our legislation would:

• Prohibit President Biden from banning hydraulic fracturing,

• Repeal all restrictions on the import and export of natural gas, including LNG,

• Prevent states from blocking interstate infrastructure projects,

• Repeal President Biden’s $6 billion natural gas tax,

• Roll back President Biden’s $27 billion EPA slush fund for special interests,

• Disapprove of President Biden’s canceling of the Keystone XL pipeline,

• Require the Department of the Interior to resume lease sales on federal lands and waters,

• Repeal harmful royalties and fee increases imposed on energy production,

• Ensure parity in energy revenue sharing for states with onshore and offshore energy development, and

• Require publication of the 2023-28 offshore oil and gas lease sales plan with deadlines for future 5-year plans.

The bill reforms the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) permitting process to streamline federal reviews for all sectors of the economy, including at our international borders. We need to limit the scope of environmental review under NEPA to reasonably foreseeable and economically feasible impacts and set reasonable deadlines for completion of NEPA reviews. Imposing a 120-day deadline on filing litigation on final agency actions concerning energy and mining projects and excluding low-impact activities and activities in previously studied areas on public lands from NEPA review will increase certainty and spur vital investment in the sector.

Our bill also ends the current abuse of the water quality certification process by streamlining the permitting process under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. Additionally, it would enhance America’s ability to develop critical energy resources by improving the environmental permitting processes at critical minerals refining and process facilities. We cannot continue to be reliant on foreign adversaries for the development and refinement of these critical minerals, as it jeopardizes our long-term national security and energy stability.

We all want clean air, clean water, and environmental protection, but those goals do not have to be achieved at the expense of jobs, prosperity, and national security. As Chair of the Travel and Tourism Caucus, I am also very supportive of protecting Florida’s pristine environmental resources, improving water quality, and addressing resiliency issues. I firmly support an “all of the above” energy strategy that includes increasing domestic production, providing incentives for the development of renewable resources, and promoting conservation. The federal government should not be in the role of picking winners and losers among the various energy sources. Additionally, we must foster a prosperous energy future that provides a competitive advantage against China - the world’s top carbon polluter.

New and emerging technologies will allow the United States to better harness the existing swath of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources that are available. By embracing these solutions, we can help modernize our infrastructure and ensure America continues to lead the world in reducing emissions - while keeping energy costs low for Americans. These pro-consumer and pro-environmental energy solutions are our nation’s best hope for the future!

• U.S. Representative Gus Bilirakis, Florida Republican, is the Chairman of the Innovation, Data and Commerce Subcommittee on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman of the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus. He is also a Senior Member of the Health Subcommittee and the Communications and Technology Subcommittee. Representing the state’s 12th congressional district, he was recently designated as Florida’s Most Effective Member in Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking at Vanderbilt University.