U.S House To Vote On Important Energy Legislation

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives are expected to vote this week on H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, which, if signed into law, would speed up the approval process for energy projects and bolster oil, gas, and mining. Read Connecting the Dots’ previous story on the bill here.

The Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) has signed two separate letters calling for lawmakers to support this legislation. The first, which is from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is available here, told lawmakers that when it comes to energy policy, Congress must ensure:

• Project developers and financers have an appropriate level of certainty regarding the scope and timeline for project reviews, including any related judicial review;
• Interagency coordination optimizes public and private resources while driving better environmental and community outcomes;
• Project sponsors and the public have visibility into the project permitting milestones and schedule through an easily accessible public means; and
• All relevant stakeholders are adequately informed and have the opportunity to provide input within a reasonable and consistent timeframe.

The second letter, organized by the National Association of Manufacturers, was sent this morning. It argued, “Increasing domestic energy production, bolstering domestic production and processing of critical minerals, streamlining energy infrastructure and exports and enacting broad permitting reform all while maintaining the highest levels of environmental stewardship are critical for U.S. manufacturers and businesses.”

MSCI and its partners at the Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance (EEIA) are hopeful that after House lawmakers approve the legislation, U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Barrasso (R-Wy.) will introduce Senate Republicans’ permitting legislation and that Sen. Joe Manchin (R-W.Va.) will work with those two lawmakers to gather bipartisan support for the legislation.

Still, there is a long way to go before any bill becomes law.

As Connecting the Dots has reported before, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has called the Republican House legislation a “nonstarter” and the White House has indicated President Joe Biden would veto the House bill.

As such, EEIA is working with pro-reform leaders in both chambers of Congress to support efforts to pass reform legislation. The need for industry leaders and employees to advocate for reform will become critical once the House package passes and the Senate begins negotiation and debate on its own version. Stay tuned to Connecting the Dots for instructions about how the industrial metals community can make its voice heard.