June 9, 2015

On June 9, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee completed its series of four hearings related to a new energy bill spearheaded by Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Legislators on both sides of the aisle have proposed 114 bills spanning energy efficiency, infrastructure, supply, and accountability and reform to be considered as a part of Murkowski’s larger energy legislation package, which she hopes to have completed before the end of the summer.

Since the last energy package passed into law in 2007, advancements in hydraulic fracturing and the Administration’s push towards renewables have created the need for new legislation, said Murkowski. The committee first addressed energy efficiency, working parallel to a similar bill in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The hearing on efficiency, held in April, examined smart grid technologies for making energy sources more reliable, especially in a time of transition as old power sources are retired in place of advanced technology.

The second hearing dealt with energy infrastructure, focusing on oil and natural gas pipelines, electric transmission lines, and energy storage. The third hearing discussed bills addressing energy supply from offshore drilling of oil and natural gas, hydropower, geothermal, biomass, and coal. The series of hearings concluded on government accountability, addressing concerns over the effectiveness of government regulations and how they affect public rates, grid reliability, and the economy.

Sources: E&E News, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee