U.S. House Passes Comprehensive Energy Solutions Bill

Press Release

Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed a comprehensive package of energy legislation designed to lower costs for consumers and put America on a path to energy security. Congressman Kevin Cramer praised the passage of the American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs and More American Jobs Act, a compilation of 14 energy bills previously approved by the House.

"The bills we passed today would create more jobs, lower energy costs, and make our world safer. Unfortunately, they are all stuck in the Senate, where Republicans and a significant number of Democrats would support them if Majority Leader Harry Reid would simply allow a vote," said Cramer.

The package includes a long list of bills cosponsored by Rep. Cramer:

The Northern Route Approval Act: Allows TransCanada Corporation to construct the Keystone XL pipeline on the merits of more than 15,500 pages of existing impact studies conducted by numerous federal and state entities, and without the President's signature.

The Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act: Reforms the pre-filing review process for natural gas pipeline permit applications and addresses excessive delays in application reviews and increased demand for pipeline capacity in light of the natural gas production boom.

The North American Energy Infrastructure Act: Modernizes the cross-border approval process for oil and natural gas pipelines as well as electric transmission lines to encourage investment in energy infrastructure and promote trade across the North American continent. It would eliminate the Presidential Permit requirement for the construction or modification of oil and natural gas pipelines which cross the U.S. border, instead establishing a more efficient approval process for cross-border oil pipelines and electric transmission facilities.

The Electricity Security and Affordability Act: Prevents the Obama Administration from going forward with rulemaking to limit carbon emissions from existing coal-fired power plants unless approved by Congress and for new power plants unless demonstrated the proposed standards are achievable for a continuous 12-month period by at least six electric generating units at different plants, including a subcategory for at least three lignite units.

The Offshore Energy and Jobs Act: Opens up energy development in the most productive offshore regions, and streamlines federal agencies involved in the leasing process by requiring the Obama Administration to revise its policies on offshore oil and natural gas development, which currently keep 85% of potential energy sites off-limits.

The Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act: Reverses the reduction in leased and permitted federal acres by requiring the Secretary of the Interior to lease areas with the greatest energy potential, empowering local Bureau of Land Management (BLM) field offices to keep half of permit application fees, and setting deadlines for the issuing of leases and permits.

The Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America Act: Saves taxpayer dollars and protects jobs by ending the Obama Administration's attempts to rewrite and drastically expand coal mining regulations, and instead require the Department of Interior to use the 2008 Stream Buffer Zone Rule, which was finalized after five years of scientific study and more than 43,000 public comments.

The Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act: Requires the Department of the Interior to defer to state regulations, permitting, and guidance for hydraulic fracturing on federal lands in states where regulations are already in place.

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