Hill Heat

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Energy, Climate, & Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC) announced a subcommittee markup of 3 bills.

• H.R. 1042, The Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act
• H.R. 1640, Save Our Gas Stoves Act, to prohibit the implementation of Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Conventional Cooking Products
• H.R. 3277, Energy Emergency Leadership Act

Markup memo

“America produces some of the cleanest, most affordable, and most efficient energy in the world. We’ve led the world in emissions reductions while upholding some of the highest labor and environmental standards. This Committee is at the forefront of improving people’s lives by unleashing American energy and improving our energy security. We look forward to considering several bills that build on these efforts by preserving people’s access to natural gas stoves, strengthening American leadership in clean nuclear energy, and protecting our electric grid from cyber threats.”

Rep. McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) introduced H.R. 1042 on February 14, 2023. This legislation would amend the relevant sections of the USEC Privatization Act to prohibit the importation of unirradiated, low-enriched uranium that is produced in the Russian Federation. It would provide waiver authority until January 2028 to the Secretary of Energy to authorize the importation of such uranium, subject to certain limits, if no alternative, viable source of lowenriched uranium is available to sustain U.S. nuclear reactor or U.S. nuclear company operations or is determined to be in the national interest. This prohibition would not apply to imports of non-uranium isotopes or certain imports for national security or nonproliferation purposes. The legislation also would authorize the Department of Energy (DOE) to use funds available in the Department’s nuclear credit program, up to no more than $1.5 billion, for its American Assured Fuel Supply, to address potential low-enriched uranium supply disruptions.

Rep. Lesko (R-AZ) introduced H.R. 1640 on March 17, 2023. This legislation would amend Section 325(h) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act so that an energy conservation standard under this section for kitchen ranges or ovens cannot be “economically justified” if it likely will result in the unavailability in the United States of a type (or class) of product based on what type of fuel the product consumes. H.R. 1640 also would prohibit the Secretary of Energy from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the proposed energy conservation standard for consumer conventional cooking products, or any substantially similar rule.

Reps. Walberg (R-MI) and Blunt-Rochester (D-DE) introduced H.R. 3277 on May 11, 2023. H.R. 3277, the “Energy Emergency Leadership Act”, would amend the Department of Energy Organization Act to include energy emergency and energy security among the functions that the Secretary of Energy shall assign to an Assistant Secretary. The legislation would provide that the functions to be assigned to an Assistant Secretary include responsibilities with respect to infrastructure, cybersecurity, emerging threats, supply and emergency planning, coordination, response, and restoration. It would also provide that these functions include the provision of technical assistance, support, and response capabilities with respect to energy sector threats, risks, and incidents to State, local, and Tribal governments, and the energy sector. Finally, H.R. 3277 would require the Secretary of Energy to ensure that the departmental functions added by this legislation are performed in coordination with relevant Federal agencies.