Hill Heat

Subcommittee hearing titled “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Powering America’s Energy Future.”

Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC)

The purpose of this hearing is to examine the Department of Energy’s due diligence process for awarding competitive grants and loans funded through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Department’s overall innovation investment strategy.

Witnesses:

• David W. Crane, Under Secretary for Infrastructure, U.S. Department of Energy
• Jigar H. Shah, Director, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy
• Teri L. Donaldson, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Energy

Full committee hearing to consider nominations.

Nominees:

• Richard H. Riley IV, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federal Republic of Somalia
• Mark Toner, of Pennsylvania, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Liberia
• David E. White, Jr., of New York, to be Deputy Director of the Peace Corps
• Herro Mustafa Garg, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Arab Republic of Egypt
• Paul K. Martin, of Maryland, to be Inspector General, United States Agency for International Development

On Thursday, October 19, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

• H.R. 1727 (Rep. Trone), “Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission Extension Act”
• H.R. 5283 (Rep. Malliotakis), “Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act of 2023”
• Discussion draft of H.R. ___ (Rep. Tiffany), “Trash Reduction And Suppressing Harm from Environmental Degradation (TRASHED) at the Border Act”; and
• Discussion draft of H.R. ___ (Rep. Westerman), “Ensuring Border Access and Protection on Federal Land Act”

Open Meeting

Commission meetings are held in Commission Meeting Room (Room 2C) at FERC Headquarters, 888 First St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426

On Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 2:00 p.m., in room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold an oversight hearing titled “Securing Our Border, Saving Our National Parks.”

House Republicans are advocating for policies to restrict the flow of migrants crossing our southern border.

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

Panel I

• Michael Reynolds, Deputy Director, National Park Service
• Chris French, Deputy Chief, National Forest System, USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC

Panel II

• Julie Axelrod, Director of Litigation, Center for Immigration Studies
• Lt. John Nores Jr. (ret.), Special Operations, Marijuana Enforcement Team, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Verlon M. Jose, Chairman, Tohono O’odham Nation, Sells, AZ [Minority witness]

On Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials will hold a hearing titled “Exposing EPA Efforts to Limit Chemicals Needed for Life-Saving Medical Devices and Other Essential Products.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

• Peter Huntsman, President and CEO, Huntsman Corporation
• Chris Jahn, President and CEO, American Chemistry Council (ACC)
• Scott Whitaker, President and CEO, Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed)
• Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH; UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently promulgating at least one dozen regulatory or supplemental efforts that impact the chemical manufacturing sector. Some of these actions have been precipitated by litigation, some by executive order, and others are part of EPA initiated efforts through statute or the regulatory review process.

The EPA has taken recent action to strengthen regulations on ethylene oxide (EtO), chloroprene, particulate matter, and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

On April 25, 2023, the EPA took two distinct actions affecting the SOCMI source category, proposing amendments to the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) that apply to the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry (SOCMI) source category and amendments to the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) that apply to the SOCMI (more commonly referred to as the HON) and Group I and II Polymers and Resins Industries. Specifically, the proposed amendments would address volatile organic compound leaks from SOCMI equipment and lower emission standards for ethylene oxide (EtO) and chloroprene.

On April 27, 2023, the EPA proposed amendments to the petroleum and chemical sectors, including for ethylene and MON products.

The Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a legislative hearing on bills to amend and reauthorize several U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) programs, on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. EDT in 1334 Longworth House Office Building.

Hearing memo

Legislation:

• H.R. 4389 (Rep. Salazar), Migratory Birds of the Americas Conservation Enhancements Act of 2023, reauthorizes the grant program that supports conservation of neotropical migratory birds in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean
• H.R. 4770 (Rep. Sarbanes), Chesapeake Bay Science, Education, and Ecosystem Enhancement Act of 2023, reauthorizes NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office, which coordinates research and restoration efforts in the Chesapeake Bay
• H.R. 5009 (Rep. Joyce), Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver Reauthorization Act, reauthorizes the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, which provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners interested in improving wildlife habitat on their land, and the Multinational Species Conservation Fund which helps conserve some of the world’s most iconic species

Witnesses:

• Stephen Guertin, Deputy Director for Program Management and Policy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Carrie Selberg Robinson, Director of the Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries Service
• Robert T. Caccese, Director of Policy, Planning and Communications, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
• Julie Wraithmell, Vice President and Executive Director, Audubon Florida
• Ben Cassidy, Executive Vice President for International Government and Public Affairs, Safari Club International
• Dr. Allison Colden, Maryland Executive Director Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Annapolis, MD [Minority Witness]

On Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at 10:15 a.m., in Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight hearing titled “Examining the Biden Administration’s Unprecedented Obstruction of the BOEM Offshore Leasing Program.”

Hearing memo

Witnesses:

• Jerry Moses, Director of State and Federal Relations, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy
• Shane Seibel, Executive Director, Southern Ute Growth Fund
• Tommy Faucheux, President, Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association
• Megan Biven Founder, True Transition [Minority witness]
• Liz Klein, Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Full committee hearing to examine the implications of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency for Clean Water Act protections of wetlands and streams.

Witnesses:

• Mažeika Patricio Sulliván, Ph.D., Director, Professor, Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University
• Kourtney Revels, Water Justice Organizer, Bayou City Waterkeeper
• Susan Bodine, Partner, Earth & Water Law