On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., in room 1334 Longworth
House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee
on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a legislative
hearing
on the following bills:
H.R. 5482 (Rep. Hageman), “Energy Poverty Prevention and
Accountability Act of 2023”;
H.R. 6474 (Rep. Steel), To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to
expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied
or developed areas; and
H.R. 6481 (Rep. Hageman), To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require
the Secretary of the Interior to reimburse the fee for an expression
of interest if the expression of interest becomes inactive, and for
other purposes.
Witnesses:
Panel I (Bill Sponsors):
Harriet Hageman, Representative, Wyoming’s at large Congressional
District [H.R. 5482, and H.R. 6481]
Michelle Steel, Representative, California’s 45th Congressional
District [H.R. 6474]
H.R.
5482
(Rep. Hageman), “Energy Poverty Prevention and Accountability Act of
2023”
Commissions GAO to identify and report on
the barriers faced by at-risk communities in accessing reliable and
affordable energy.
Requires the OMB to review energy related
regulations to determine if they would substantially burden at-risk
communities.
Requires GAO and
OMB to issue a joint report to Congress on
their findings along with recommendations on how to reduce energy
poverty in at-risk communities.
Requires the CBO to include in any energy
related bill or resolution an estimate of costs to at-risk
communities.
Forces agencies to conduct studies prior to issuing a withdrawal of
federal lands, taking action to delay or deny fossil-fuel leases or
permits, or declaring a moratorium on fossil-fuel production that
demonstrates the action in question will not increase energy poverty.
Requires all agencies include an “Energy Poverty Statement” on the
first page of each rulemaking detailing how the rule will not create
energy poverty in at-risk communities.
Does not mention the harms of pollution.
Does not mention energy efficiency.
H.R.
6474
(Rep. Steel), To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expedite
geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or
developed areas.
Amends Section 390 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 by adding
geothermal exploration and development to the categorical exclusions
authorized by that section.
H.R.
6481
(Rep. Hageman), To amend the Mineral Leasing Act to require the
Secretary of the Interior to reimburse the fee for an expression of
interest if the expression of interest becomes inactive, and for other
purposes.
Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to require the Secretary of the
Interior to reimburse EOI submitters if the
acreage in the EOI is not offered and the
EOI is cancelled.
Ensures that EOIs remain active for a period of at least 5 years.
On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 10:15 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth
House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee
on Oversight and Investigations will hold an oversight hearing titled
“The Mineral Supply Chain and the New Space Race.”
Eric Sundby, Co-Founder & CEO of TerraSpace,
Executive Director of the Space Force Association
Dr. Greg Autry, Director and Clinical Professor, Space Leadership,
Policy, and Business, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona
State University
Dr. Moses P. Milazzo, Owner of Other Orb, Chief Scientist for
NASA’s Planetary Data Ecosystem [Minority
Witness]
Michelle Hanlon, Executive Director, Center for Air and Space Law, The
University of Mississippi School of Law
On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2128 of the Rayburn
House Office Building, the National Security, Illicit Finance, and
International Financial Institutions Subcommittee of the Financial
Services Committee will hold a
hearing
titled “Restricting RogueState Revenue: Strengthening Energy Sanctions
on Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.”
In 2024, state policymakers have a historic chance to jumpstart clean,
publicly owned energy and good green jobs. For the first time ever, the
federal government will pay tax-exempt entities like state governments,
houses of worship, schools, hospitals, public housing administrators,
public utilities and community organizations to build renewable energy
projects like solar, wind, or electric vehicle charging stations through
the Direct Pay program in the Inflation Reduction Act. This is an
unprecedented opportunity to build sustainable energy infrastructure,
clean up our air and water and create good green jobs. Co-hosted by the
State Innovation Exchange (SiX) and the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Center (CPCC), this
briefing
will show state champions how they can bring Direct Pay to their
communities.
Join us on December 7 as we delve into a series of panels tackling
pressing issues such as Climate Activism, A Career in Climate?, Media –
Fighting or Fueling the Climate Crisis?, A Just Energy Transition,
COP28 – View from the Ambassadors, and more.
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with policymakers, climate
activists, journalists, and academic experts as they discuss the
critical path to ensuring a just and equitable climate transition.
Discover the key highlights and takeaways from
COP28 and explore whether the commitments
needed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 will be met.
Schedule
12:00 PM EST / 21:00
GST — Opening Remarks
Join Shannon Hader, Dean, School of International Service, and Thomas
Snitch, Chairman, US Advisory Board, We Don’t Have Time, as they set the
stage for Day 7 of The COP28 Climate Hub –
Live from American University!
Join us for an insightful panel discussion featuring distinguished
guests—the Ambassador of the Bahamas to the United States and the
Ambassador of Thailand to the United States. Together, they bring unique
insights and diplomatic perspectives to the forefront of the global
conversation on climate change at COP28.
Speakers:
Thomas Snitch (Moderator), Chairman, US Advisory Board, We Don’t Have
Time
Wendall K. Jones, Ambassador of The Bahamas to the United States of
America
Tanee Sangrat, Ambassador of Thailand to the United States of America
12:40 PM EST / 21:40
GST — The Power of Storytelling
Join our panel of experts as they discuss the pivotal role storytelling
plays in amplifying awareness, cultivating empathy, and driving positive
environmental action. Discover how compelling narratives have the power
to connect diverse perspectives, inspire collective responsibility, and
serve as catalysts for meaningful change.
�
Speakers:
Anne Therese Gennari, Speaker, Author and Founder, The Climate
Optimist
Brittany Bell Surratt, Senior Director of Storytelling &
Communications, Hip Hop Caucus
Join esteemed environmental law experts William Snape and Steven
Donziger in a thought-provoking conversation on climate litigation.
Explore the legal frontiers of climate change, as these seasoned
attorneys share insights on groundbreaking cases, the evolving role of
the judiciary in addressing environmental challenges, and the
intersection of law and activism.
�
Speakers:
Steven Donziger, Human rights lawyer, Donziger & Associates
William Snape, Professor, Assistant Dean, and Director of the
AU WCL Program on Environmental and Energy
Law (PEEL)
Jillian Mayer, Student, 3L J.D. Candidate, Washington College of Law
(Moderator)
1:30 PM EST / 22:30
GST — Research Spotlight on Climate Activism
Dana R Fisher will talk about the role that climate activism is playing
and will continue to play in the struggle to achieve sufficient climate
action. Her comments will build on the findings from her new book,
Saving Ourselves: from Climate Shocks to Climate Action (Columbia
University Press, 2024).
1:35 PM EST / 22:35
GST — Climate Activism
This panel will feature a discussion among leaders of climate activist
groups about how they mobilize supporters and that tactics they choose
to employ to encourage climate action.
�
Speakers:
Dana R Fisher, Director, Center for Environment, Community and Equity,
American University
John Paul Mejia, National Spokesperson,Sunrise Movement
Elizabeth Finn, Co-facilitator,Third Act Virginia
Michael Greenberg, Founder, Climate Defiance
2:10 PM EST / 23:10
GST — Climate Optimism
Listen to Anne Therese Gennari on Climate Optimism!
2:15 PM EST / 23:15
GST — A Career in Climate?
This panel features a discussion about the growing diversity of careers
in climate. It brings together notable AU alumni along with faculty
working to train the next generation of climate workers.
�
Speakers:
Shannon Hader (Moderator), Dean, School of International Service,
American University
Julie Anderson, Associate Program Director – Masters of Science in
Sustainability Management, American University
Tyler Steinhardt, Chief Strategy Officer, Vocal Media
Brianna Weck, Grants and Finance Specialist, The High Ambition
Coalition for Nature and People
2:50 PM EST / 23:50
GST: Research Spotlight on Food Waste
If wasted and unused food were a country, it would be the third biggest
emitter of carbon dioxide after China and the US. Tackling the problem
of wasted food serves the dual purpose of making sure all people have
the food they need and reducing the amount of carbon we release into the
atmosphere. Matt Hartings will talk about the multidisciplinary efforts
of the NSF sponsored
RECIPES Network in building sustainable
solutions to the issue of wasted food.
2:55 PM EST / 23:55
GST — Economic Efforts to Tackling the Climate
Crisis
Join us for a stimulating conversation about the intersection of
economics and sustainability and the potential for harnessing economic
forces to help us tackle the climate crisis! Our panel of thought
leaders will discuss green finance, circular economy practices, and
sustainable business initiatives. Let’s explore how we can use economic
tools as powerful allies in our worldwide effort to address and mitigate
the effects of climate change.
�
Speakers:
Anne Therese Gennari (Moderator), Speaker, Author and Founder, The
Climate Optimist
Pushpam Kumar, Senior Economic Advisor, United Nations Environment
Programme
Jetta Wong, Senior Advisor on Climate to the Administrator,
GSA
Gaya Herrington, Vice President Sustainability Research, Schneider
Electric
3:25 PM EST / 00:25
GST — Research Spotlight on Climate Narratives
and Media
Ros Donald will talk about the ways in which media depictions of climate
change can challenge or reinforce climate inaction and inequality.
Drawing on her research, she will explore how emphasizing diverse
climate narratives and centring the local can foster the creation of
more engaging, just, and effective climate media.
3:30 PM EST / 00:30
GST — Media – Fighting or Fueling the Climate
Crisis?
Join us for an exciting exploration of media’s power to both spur and
hinder climate progress. Learn from journalists and experts about the
impact of media in forming public opinion and influencing climate
action.
�
Speakers:
Rebecca Leber, Senior Reporter, Vox
Emily Atkin, Editor-in-Chief, HEATED
Ros Donald, Assistant Professor, Climate Change, Environmental
Justice, Media, and Communication, American University
4:00 PM EST / 01:00
GST — A Just Energy Transition
This panel will delve into the critical intersection of energy
transition and social equity. Join us as we explore how to foster a
transition to sustainable energy that not only combats climate change
but also upholds principles of justice, inclusivity, and fairness.
�
Speakers:
Anne Therese Gennari (moderator), Speaker, Author and Founder, The
Climate Optimist
Ebony Twilley Martin, Executive Director, Greenpeace
USA
Phil Kangas, Director of Outreach and Business Development, U.S.
Department of Energy, Loan Programs Office
Ryan Norman, Senior Policy Advisor, Third Way
4:35 PM EST / 01:35
GST — Closing Remarks
Vicky Wilkins, Acting Provost and Chief Academic Officer, American
University, gives us her reflections from Day 7 of the
COP28 Climate Hub.
American University Center for Environmental Policy
Kurt Campbell currently serves as Deputy Assistant to the President and
Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the National Security Council
since January 20, 2021. He was previously founding Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of The Asia Group, LLC, a
strategic advisory and capital management group. From 2009 to 2013,
Campbell served as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and
Pacific Affairs. Earlier, he was the CEO and
Co-Founder of the Center for a New American Security and concurrently
served as the Director of the Aspen Strategy Group and Chairman of the
Editorial Board of the Washington Quarterly. Among the other positions
he has held during his distinguished career, Campbell served as Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs, White
House Fellow at the Treasury Department, and as Director of the
Democracy Office at the National Security Council during the Clinton
Administration. Campbell was an Associate Professor of Public Policy at
Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and served in the US Navy
Reserves. He is the author or editor of ten books including The Pivot:
The Future of American Statecraft in Asia, Difficult Transitions: Why
Presidents Fail in Foreign Policy at the Outset of Power and Hard Power:
The New Politics of National Security. He received his B.A. from the
University of California, San Diego and his Doctorate in international
relations from Brasenose College at Oxford University where he was a
Distinguished Marshall Scholar. Campbell is the recipient of numerous
awards, including the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award.
Full committee
hearing
to examine Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act investments in habitat
and ecosystem restoration, pollinators, and wildlife crossings.
Witnesses:
Martha Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Brian Fouch, P.E., Associate Administrator for Federal Lands, Federal
Highway Administration
On Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth
House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources will hold a
mark-up
on the following bills:
H.R.
1449
(Rep. Fulcher), “Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act” or the
“CLEAN Act”, which requires the Department of the Interior to increase
the frequency of lease sales under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970
and establishes deadlines for consideration of geothermal drilling
permits.;
H.R.
3250
(Rep. Morelle), “National Museum of Play Recognition Act”;
H.R.
3396
(Rep. Harder), “Fire Department Repayment Act of 2023”;
H.R.
5490
(Rep. Kiggans), “Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act” or
the “BEACH Act”;
