Every American family deserves commonsense energy solutions

OPINION:

I have dedicated my life to service, first as a nurse, then doctor, as an Army veteran, State Senator and now as a Member of Congress. I believe we owe it to our future generations to leave this planet better than we found it. I am not alone.

As Vice Chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus, I am joined by over 80 Republican Members of Congress who agree: we can act to mitigate the impacts of a changing climate, while strengthening the U.S. economy. We understand the importance of working together to enact commonsense solutions to lower global emissions. The United States leads the world in emissions reduction, due largely to innovation within our energy and manufacturing sectors, and we should be taking advantage of that fact.

In many cases, this means working across the aisle to pass important policies to encourage continued clean energy research, development, and deployment of new technologies. It means ensuring that clean energy solutions are economically viable and beneficial to both our environment and our local communities. And it means ensuring the federal government doesn’t get in the way of important projects.

I am working with Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), alongside Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), to introduce a resolution recognizing September 25-29, 2023, as National Clean Energy Week.

The bipartisan, bicameral resolution helps kick off a weeklong celebration of U.S. clean energy leadership and activities that highlight American energy innovation and collaboration. It states that clean energy is an essential part of our growing economy, and with energy generation from zero- and low-emissions sources on the rise, it’s bound to be more integrated.

I am proud to serve on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, where we are working to promote resources like nuclear energy, renewable biofuels and hydropower and are focused on strengthening our energy grid resilience and transmission capabilities. These are important pieces of any energy puzzle that incorporates increasing energy demand, affordability, security, reliability and sustainability.

Despite this progress, we still have work to do. The United States is over reliant on countries like China and Russia for essential components of our clean energy strategy.

This is unacceptable. We must onshore these supply chains to not only modernize and bolster our energy grid but to strengthen our national security.

If we are going to do so, we have to reform our permitting processes here at home. Permitting a new mine or transmission line in the U.S. can take upwards of a decade or longer. Once permitted, outdated judicial review laws can derail progress by halting or delaying projects and driving up costs ultimately disincentivizing investment in U.S. mineral development at all.

Of the 50 critical minerals recognized by the United States, China is the dominant supplier for 21 of them. Additionally, China has near-monopolistic control of refining and processing capacity. For example, China is responsible for 64% of the world’s cobalt refining, a mineral used for technologies we need if we are serious about a cleaner energy future.

Meanwhile, the United States is sitting on the largest untapped copper, nickel, and cobalt deposit in North America, located in northern Minnesota. Developing these minerals here at home would not only create good-paying American jobs, but it would ensure we are no longer dependent on these minerals from China, where environmental and labor protections are low and carbon emissions are high.

Strengthening domestic critical mineral supply chains for clean energy development should not be a partisan issue, and I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure we can do so.

While National Clean Energy Week only comes once a year, in my home state of Iowa, we recognize the contributions clean energy makes to our way of life. Thanks in part to states like Iowa, the American energy and manufacturing industries have made huge strides in reducing emissions, due largely to improved technologies for natural gas development and development of low-carbon biofuels.

Iowa is the nation’s largest fuel ethanol and biodiesel producer, accounting for about one-fourth of U.S. fuel ethanol production capacity and one-fifth of biodiesel manufacturing capacity. Biofuels are an integral part of the Hawkeye State’s economy, supporting the agriculture industry and the environment. But Iowa’s energy portfolio also includes any-of-the-above sources like hydropower, solar, and wind power, with wind turbines generating 62% of Iowa’s electricity.

In fact, Governor Kim Reynolds is one of more than two dozen governors across the country joining us in declaring Clean Energy Week in Iowa. Her proclamation highlights the 35,000 jobs within our state’s clean energy sector and the continued economic growth resulting from continued clean energy development.

I am proud to celebrate National Clean Energy Week, and I encourage everyone to join me in seeking commonsense, bipartisan solutions to our country’s energy challenges. As we strive to strengthen energy security and provide clean, affordable, abundant and reliable energy to every American family, we also must look to the future and ensure we are leaving a cleaner, healthier world for our children and grandchildren.

• Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D., Iowa Republican, represents the state’s Second Congressional District. She serves on House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where she sits on the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Minerals, as well as the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where she serves as Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Health.