Grid Reliability

Floor Speech

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Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Dakota. Like my preceding colleague just said, she is great on the Committee on energy. She is an energy busybody. She is moving and shaking for being brand new. I thank her for the opportunity to speak today.

Mr. Speaker, I will tell everyone that being on the Energy and Commerce Committee has been the delight of my life. It means a lot to America.

When I speak to groups, Mr. Speaker, whether they are school-aged kids or whether they are college or whether they are industry or whatever it might be, I tell people that the things that make America great are the things that America makes.

How do we do that? We do that with a reliable, affordable, dependable source of energy, Mr. Speaker. We do that with grid reliability, a critical issue that affects every single American. Our Nation's economy, our security, and our very way of life depend on energy that is stable, affordable, and, yes, resilient.

Today, our system is under threat. When we talk about grid reliability, we have to start with the facts. Right now fossil fuels, natural gas, coal, and even petroleum supply 60 percent of our electricity. Natural gas alone provides 40 percent and up. It keeps the lights on in homes. It keeps the lights on in businesses and factories all across America.

Did I mention, Mr. Speaker, that the things that make America great are the things that America makes?

Add in nuclear power at nearly 19 percent, and it is clear that these are the backbone of our energy system economically, politically, and militarily. Yet, despite this reliability, these proven sources are under attack by radical policies that push unreliable energy at the expense of energy that actually works.

Mr. Speaker, that is changing now. The Trump administration has made it clear. We are going to put American energy first. We are increasing domestic production, cutting unnecessary regulations, and ensuring that our power grids remain strong and resilient. That means expanding natural gas. That means investing in nuclear energy. That means making sure we have the very infrastructure to keep energy flowing to American homes and businesses.

Did I mention, Mr. Speaker, that the things that make America great are the things that America makes?

Yet, here is what is happening. The premature shutdown of our most reliable energy sources--coal, natural gas, and nuclear--put our entire grid at risk. The Nation's largest grid operator, PJM, which serves much of the eastern U.S., warns that up to 30 percent of its power generation could retire by 2030.

Meanwhile, demand is expected to rise 40 percent by 2039. I am not good at math, Mr. Speaker. I don't think that adds up. We cannot take away reliable generation and then just simply pretend we don't face an energy crisis. That is pie in the sky.

Thankfully, President Trump understands this and is working to ensure we do not face a future of rolling blackouts and energy shortages. He probably understands, Mr. Speaker, that the things that make America great are the things that America makes.

If the United States is serious about remaining a leader in energy and technology, we must embrace energy expansion. That means building more pipelines. Pipelines are the safest and most efficient way to transport energy. Yet they are being blocked by overregulations and bad policy, and that is why the Trump administration is committed to cutting the red tape, getting pipelines built, and making sure American energy can move freely to where it is needed so that the things that make America great can continue to be made.

Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker. Modernizing our grid does not mean pushing expensive and unreliable energy mandates on taxpayers. Americans should not be forced to foot the bill for an agenda that actually weakens our power supply. What we need is a balanced, commonsense approach that prioritizes affordability, reliability, stability, and security.

With the Trump administration back in office, Mr. Speaker, we now have leadership that values energy independence, as well as economic growth. This Congress, on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I look forward to advancing real solutions to hardening our energy grid, to protect it from cyberattacks, to protect it from supply chain disruptions, and to protect it from natural disasters.

Mr. Speaker, America needs a grid that works when we need it. That means standing up for natural gas. That means investing in nuclear. That means protecting our pipelines. That means rejecting reckless policies that put politics ahead of not only reliability but reality.

The things that make America great are the things that America makes.

President Trump, thanks to his leadership, is on the right path to securing a future based on that premise, and I thank the gentlewoman from North Dakota for holding this Special Order.

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