Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, praised this evening’s passage of bipartisan legislation to allow for expanded energy exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Jobs and Energy Permitting Act (H.R. 2021) seeks to streamline the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) permitting process and eliminate needless regulatory delays that have prevented energy development in these waters. The bill, of which Upton is a cosponsor, passed the House by a vote of 253 to 166.
“With summer finally here and Independence Day right around the corner, Michigan families are eager for relief at the gas pump,” said Upton. “As our nation’s energy needs continue to grow, demand must be met with a steady supply of American-made energy. The folks in southwest Michigan get it – they understand the basic tenets of supply and demand. This sensible, bipartisan legislation goes a long way to address the supply side of the equation by allowing for safe and vital energy production. Exploration has been stalled – in some instances for years – on account of bureaucratic uncertainty and confusion under current federal law. This bill takes energy exploration out of regulatory limbo, allowing us to focus our efforts on creating jobs and lowering prices with American-made energy.”
Increased domestic energy production stands to benefit Michigan families through lower energy prices, greater energy security, and the creation of thousands of domestic jobs. The Jobs and Energy Permitting Act aims to eliminate uncertainty and confusion under the Clean Air Act that has delayed oil exploration in the Alaskan OCS – a region estimated to contain up to 30 billion barrels of oil and 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Some delays have lasted for years at a cost of billions of dollars to the private sector. While the EPA’s regional office has granted air permits to allow offshore drilling, the process has repeatedly been stalled at the agency’s Environmental Appeals Board. The proposed legislation would make three technical clarifications to the Clean Air Act and require EPA to take final action – either granting or denying a permit – within six months.
Upton supports an “all of the above” energy strategy, a commonsense approach to meeting our nation’s growing energy needs through the development of domestic energy resources, a renewed commitment to safe nuclear power, and the utilization of renewable and alternative energy technologies.
