Chairman Latta's Opening Statement at Energy Subcommittee Hearing on Unleashing American Energy

OK Exce um Let's see. Right, OK. I want to thank all of our witnesses. For being with us today. And today's hearing on empowering America's future, unleashing American energy. Today, we're discussing the state of our nation's energy system, reviewing Biden administration's actions that have undermined our economic and national security. The most important looking forward to how our subcommittee will meet our ever expanding need for more energy. In the last Congress, I ask every witness that, uh, appeared before us in the subcommittee, the same question. Do we need more energy or less energy and all all of those uh witnesses all responded by saying we need more. The US Energy Information Administration projects the United States will consume record amounts of electricity in 2024 and 2025. The Department of Energy's Berkeley lab estimates that US data center low growth, which already encompasses half the data centers in the world is projected to double or triple by the year 2028. Last Congress, we heard extensive testimony from grid experts and operators about the impacts, the verge of regulations like the Clean Power Plan 2.0 that will drive out resources that are essential to keeping the lights on and our economy flowing. Households and businesses alike continue to struggle under high energy prices that have followed excessive federal spending and anti-fossil fuel policy decisions of the Biden administration. In 2008, House Republicans first showcased the all the above energy strategy that supports this diverse mix of energy sources without the government picking winners or losers, which is better for meeting demand and better for the environment. In intermittent energy sources such as solar and wind have a role to play in a diverse energy mix. However, we must maintain our base load power that is delivered from fossil fuels, nuclear, and hydropower. While resources has strained the next generation. Uh, the next generation of our resources are strained, the next generation economy will require massive amounts of reliable, affordable, and abundant energy. My district in Ohio is home to over 86,000 manufacturing jobs and seeing the data center energy demand arrive. When it comes to winning the AI race, all energy solutions need to be on the table. Small modular nuclear reactors, traditional nuclear power, intermittent renewables, batteries, natural gas, fuel cells, just to name a few. But our nation's energy futures at a turning point in the world's not gonna wait for us. Adversarial nations actively seek to exploit our energy demand to undermine, undermine our position on the world stage. Unfortunately, misguided actions from the Biden administration like the LNG export ban handicapped diplomatic tools of energy abundance. Instead, the Biden administration's electrification or nothing in the rush to green approach has only embolden adversaries like communist China who manipulate critical mineral markets and limit exports of key materials for our manufacturing sector in defense industrial base. Meanwhile, China is delving down on their efforts to gain a leadership position in the global race for AI development in the next generation economy. Here's the good news. It's a new day in America. President Trump has led a necessary reset of national energy strategy. As we look to the future of our nation's energy needs, the subcu will be essential to ensure our electric grid is secure against physical and cyber attacks and natural disasters. We'll unlock our abundant resources through permitting reforms that can ensure innovations and advancements are happening here in America. We'll build on the bipartisan success of the Advance Act and the nuclear Fuel Security Act to usher in next generation nuclear. Discus innovative solutions for spent fuel like recycling. storage and expand America's nuclear fuels infrastructure to restore our global nuclear leadership. This committee must address the growing energy demand and all the issues that come with it. I look forward to the constructive dialogue today as we embark on a path of reassert North American energy dominance. And with that, I yield 30 seconds uh to my friend, the gentleman from Colorado's 8th district.