OPINION:
A cornerstone of Republicans’ 2024 electoral mandate has been to restore common sense to Washington. For four long years, the American economy was battered by historic inflation and a slew of radical regulations that upended entire industries particularly our energy sector.
By every measure, the United States has what it takes to be an energy-dominant nation. We are blessed with abundant natural resources, a free market that rewards innovation and efficiency, and the most skilled workforce in the world. Yet under President Biden, we not only squandered that potential we ceded ground to adversaries like China and Russia.
As chairman of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT), my responsibility is to bring Republicans together to right the ship and stand united in putting American energy dominance front and center. And while we’ve already secured major victories, the work is far from finished.
One of our first priorities this Congress was to reverse misguided initiatives from the last administration. Chief among them was the deluge of big-government mandates and heavy-handed subsidies underpinning the Democrats’ “Green New Scam.”
The Biden White House relied on taxpayer-funded handouts to prop up speculative investors while waging an all-out war on coal and natural gas. As a result, energy markets are rattled by regulatory uncertainty, driving electricity prices higher and leaving families and businesses to pay the price.
The Working Families Tax Cuts law cut off funding for this far-left energy agenda that punished our most reliable power sources and bet our future on wind and solar projects that cannot meet the growing demand from AI and advanced manufacturing alone.
That is why HEAT is focused on solutions that unlock our vast natural resources and ensure energy abundance for decades to come. This means finally taking on much-needed reforms to our permitting process.
For far too long, America’s permitting process has stood as a barrier to our own progress. Clogged by red tape and litigation, critical energy projects are delayed for years, costs are driven up, and companies are forced to rely more on foreign suppliers often adversaries like China for the energy, minerals, and materials we need. President Trump made important strides to streamline this process with his decisive executive orders, but Congress must act to codify these actions and provide much-needed stability.
This month, the House passed one of my bills, the GRID Power Act. This legislation will help expedite electricity generation projects that bring dispatchable power online and improve the reliability of our grid. These projects can face wait times of up to five years in the interconnection queue before they are reviewed, jeopardizing our ability to meet the United States’ skyrocketing power demands.
The reality is simple: if we want affordable energy, a stronger economy, and a strategic edge over China, Congress must act. Permitting reform isn’t just about drilling wells or mining critical minerals; it’s about building supply chains for manufacturers, creating high-paying jobs, and ensuring our power grid can withstand future demand.
House Republicans, led by HEAT members, are advancing commonsense permitting reforms. The Streamlining Critical Mineral Permitting Act accelerates approvals for vital mining projects so we can source materials here at home instead of from Beijing. The Nationwide Permitting Improvement Act and the Improving Water Quality Certifications and American Energy Infrastructure Act end the abuse of water rules that have been weaponized to block new energy infrastructure. And the Judicial Review Timeline Clarity Act reins in frivolous lawsuits that delay projects for years and drive up costs for taxpayers.
Outsourcing our nation’s energy security is no longer acceptable. America has been blessed with unmatched natural resources that can power our nation affordably and reliably well into the future, but unless we get the government out of the way, we will never be able to reach our full, God-given potential.
Together, these Republican reforms will lower energy bills for families, strengthen American manufacturing, and speed the build-out of reliable, dispatchable power that keeps our grid resilient. With HEAT leading the way, Congress is delivering on its promise to restore American energy dominance.
• Rep. Troy Balderson represents Ohio’s 12th Congressional District. He serves as Chairman of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT) and is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
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