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WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Maximizing Opportunities for Redeveloping Brownfields Sites: Assessing the Potential for New American Innovation. Subcommittee Chairman Griffith's opening statement as prepared for delivery: "Today, this Subcommittee will examine the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields grant program.  "Brownfields are generally described as properties that contain or may contain a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, which in turn complicates efforts to expand, redevelop, or reuse the site.  "Often, these contaminated sites are not redeveloped, because prospective new owners are worried about becoming responsible for potential liability as the original company that is liable for the contamination no longer exists. "Through this program, EPA provides grant funding to states, Tribes, economic development agencies, and other entities who are then able to study the extent of contamination, clean up the site, and find a way to redevelop it. "Since 1993, EPA has administered efforts to clean up these sites. Congress first formally established the Brownfields program in the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, and codified it under the Comprehensive, Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. "The brownfields program has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support, and the last statutory authorization expired last September, at the end of Fiscal Year 2023.  "Reauthorizing this program will provide us with an opportunity to examine the program and find out what aspects are working well and what aspects need improvement. I believe taking testimony from our witnesses today will help us to inform our efforts.  "Additionally, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided an unprecedented supplemental appropriation of $1.5 billion for brownfields. The awards funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act were exempted from some of the traditional statutory limitations, such as certain maximum grant amounts and state and local cost share requirements. We will need to examine these changes and understand their advantages and disadvantages. "EPA estimates there are more than 450,000 brownfields properties in the United States. This amounts to a lot of unused or underutilized land with economic potential. "Broadly we also know that we will need additional infrastructure and facilities to support our growing economy and process the materials and components needed for new innovative technologies.  "The Brownfields program may also be a good tool to help secure American leadership in emerging industries and traditional manufacturing.  "For example, ABI Research, an industry analysis firm, estimates that by the end of 2025, there will be over 6,000 data centers built worldwide as artificial intelligence continues to take off. "Over the next five years, our country’s electricity demand is expected to grow by almost 16 percent. This growing demand will entail construction of additional energy resources. "So, today we will examine opportunities to bring those industries to Brownfields sites in our communities and explore existing barriers to putting these sites to good use. "In my district in Southwest Virginia, counties, state agencies, regional organizations, and public-private partnerships have already been hard at work revitalizing former mine land for economic development. "I hope we can learn more today about how the Brownfields Program can support these endeavors and similar ones around the country.  "Thank you to our witnesses for being here and contributing to these efforts.  "First, we have the Honorable Jim Connaughton, Chief Executive Officer of James L. ConnaughtonStrategies where he works on sustainable technology innovation and public policy.  "Mr. Connaughton recently served as CEO of Nautilus Data Technologies, a company producing data center components with minimal environmental impacts. He also served as Chairman of the White House Counsel on Environmental Quality under President Bush.  "As you all know, this Committee has been engaged in robust discussion over the past few years on ways to improve the permitting process generally, so we welcome his extensive experience in this area. "We also welcome back Mayor Christian Bollwagefrom the City of Elizabeth, New Jersey.  "The Committee greatly appreciates him lending his knowledge and expertise to our efforts to reauthorize the Brownfields Program. "We will also hear from Christa Stoneham, President and CEO of the Houston Land Bank. Thank you for being here to share your insights on the program and efforts to revitalize the areas your organization serves.  "Last but not least, I am excited to welcome my constituent Duane Miller, Executive Director of the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission. My staff and I have had the privilege of working with the Commission for years. They’ve played an integral role in attracting emerging industries to our region, creating jobs, and cleaning up abandoned sites in Southwest Virginia. "Thank you all for being here, and I look forward to a good discussion. I now recognize the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Mr. Tonko, for his opening statement."  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing titled Maximizing Opportunities for Redeveloping Brownfields Sites: Assessing the Potential for New American Innovation . “The Brownfields Program supports communities impacted by prior industrial activity, offering them a new opportunity to spur growth and innovation. As the program continues to work to clean up areas that have been contaminated, we can leverage these sites to construct, among other things, data centers critical to advancing Artificial Intelligence,” said Chairman Griffith. “Today's hearing was an important step toward ensuring that the Brownfields Program continues to serve the American people by assessing and cleaning up potential contamination and supporting new and emerging industries.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Representative Bob Latta (OH-05): “What do we need to be doing on permitting to move things along and get things moving faster? This a great thing about this Committee, the broad jurisdiction we have. I've never heard anybody ever testify before saying that they're against our regulations. Just give us regulations so we can live with. But what do you see on the permitting side that we ought to be doing right now?”  Hon. James L. Connaughton: “You know, what's interesting is we had all the big infrastructure projects, data centers, semiconductors, by the way, even shipbuilding. They actually don't have a big outward environmental footprint. There's a lot of things to comply with, OK, but all the methods of controlling to prevent environmental contamination are well known and in place. And so, if we could simply change the default to yes. With inspection and enforcement of noncompliance, which almost never occurs, that solves the problem. And you do it in site assessment, you do it in permitting, and you do it with interconnection. You have to create an automated system.” Representative John Joyce (PA-13): “In Pennsylvania, we are proud of our industries. The coal, the steel, and allied industries that were mined and forged in our cities and in our towns. Sadly, many of these legacy industries have fallen on hard times and gone out of business, leaving behind land in need of environmental cleanup and communities with limited resources. to invest in that necessary redevelopment. This is where EPA's Brownfields Program has been useful to ensure that these are areas that are not left behind, and economic development can occur. Across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, counties like Cambria and Blair have used brownfields to leverage public and private funding to create family sustaining jobs. This program is a great example of how instead of federal government getting in the way with burdensome regulations, it can work with local stakeholders to spur lasting redevelopment.” Representative August Pfluger (TX-11): “I represent a very rural district but one that has a tremendous amount of energy. One that could benefit very greatly, but we see more of an urge to show some or to do urban projects rather than rural. So maybe talk to me a little bit about some of the barriers that have impacted us in the rural community.” Mr. Duane Miller: “I'm a big believer in our rural areas. We kind of view them as a blank canvas… I really think a concise effort should be put on the recruitment of data centers to rural areas through this brownfield funding.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing titled Fixing Biden’s Broadband Blunder . “I hope this new Congress and the urgency of this moment will inspire bipartisan cooperation on this effort. We must do everything we can to remove these unnecessary barriers to deployment,” said Chairman Hudson. “Unserved Americans have waited too long for the promise of connectivity. But now is the moment to close the digital divide once and for all.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from yesterday's hearing: Representative Neal Dunn (FL-02): “We spent 65 billion in the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act, the IIJA, to support broadband activities, and we have nothing to show for it. We have a poster that shows how much money was put into a number of these different programs – not all of them, just some of the bigger ones. In fact, they’re over 130 programs in total.” Representative Buddy Carter (GA-01): “Let’s face it, the past 4 years under the Biden Harris administration has been nothing short of a disaster for broadband deployment and expansion to America, and it’s because of the permitting process. Permitting delays have, have resulted in And, and, and the can and halting the construction of Bo band infrastructure, even in my own district of, of Georgia in the first congressional district.” Representative Erin Houchin (IN-09): “Back in the Indiana State Senate, I worked on broadband legislation trying to get access to unserved areas. As noted in some of your testimonies, we have seen overbuilding technologies that are picking winners and losers in some of these funding opportunities. One of the things that I wanted to do is make sure that any broadband that was deployed went to areas that had zero access first and then we would build to uh toward higher speeds.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, announced a hearing to explore potential opportunities for the restoration/remediation of brownfields sites to be used for the development of critical infrastructure. “As we look to grow American innovation, it’s time to examine the EPA’s Brownfields Site program and explore how these legacy sites can be used to support the development of critical infrastructure that will be vital to maintaining America’s competitive advantage,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Griffith. “This hearing is an opportunity for us to examine the implementation of EPA’s Brownfields program and the work that needs to be done to clean up those sites for redevelopment, especially in emerging industries like data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, and AI infrastructure. Together, we look forward to examining how Congress can continue to encourage innovation and address any challenges that might create obstacles to new development in our communities.” Subcommittee on Environment hearing titled Maximizing Opportunities for Redeveloping Brownfields Sites: Assessing the Potential for New American Innovation .  WHAT: Subcommittee on Environment Hearing on Renewing Brownfields Sites     DATE: Tuesday, March 11, 2025          TIME: 10:15 AM ET     LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building     This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Calvin Huggins at Calvin.Huggins1@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov .  ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Scaling For Growth: Meeting The Demand For Reliable, Affordable Electricity. Subcommittee Chairman Latta's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Welcome to today’s hearing ‘Scaling for Growth: Meeting the Demand for Reliable, Affordable Electricity.’ “Today, we will discuss the state of our nation’s bulk power system and the opportunities that lie ahead in the next generation economy.  “Our nation’s electric grid, built over the course of almost 150 years, has been referred to as the most complex, sophisticated machine known to mankind.   “When operating correctly, the U.S. grid efficiently delivers low cost, reliable energy to communities of all sizes.   “Through extensive planning, coordination, and collaboration from a host of government and industry partners, this complex process seamlessly responds in real time to maintain reliability in both normal and extreme weather conditions. “Yet today, historic increases in electricity demand, primarily from energy intensive AI models and domestic manufacturing, are exposing key impediments to the ability of utilities, grid operators, and generators to keep the lights on.   “When the lights go out, people’s lives are at stake.   “The entities charged with overseeing our electric grid have been warning of potential shortfalls under normal weather conditions – extreme weather or unforeseen circumstances could turn catastrophic.   “In 2025 alone, the Energy Information Administration projects that 12.3 gigawatts of coal capacity are set to retire. By the end of the decade, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation projects as high as 52 gigawatts of thermal generation will retire.   “The stakes could not be higher.   “Across the world, our adversaries are actively seeking to undermine US leadership on the world stage to write the rules of the next generation economy.   “Nations like communist China, who does not share our democratic values, are seeking to develop world leading AI models through an authoritarian, military lens to export their command-and-control style of governance across the world.   “Yet within this emerging crisis, there’s an opportunity for our nation to correct course and grow job creating industries here at home.  “But to get there, we need more energy and we need it fast.  “The Department of Energy’s Berkeley Lab estimates that U.S. data center load growth alone is projected to double or triple by 2028.   “My district, home to over 86,000 manufacturing jobs, is keenly aware of the energy demands of industrial facilities.   “Unfortunately, misguided decisions of the Biden administration severely constrained our avenues to increase and strengthen energy production.  “The Clean Power Plan 2.0 is driving accelerated pre-mature retirements of baseload power.   “Permitting barriers for new natural gas pipeline infrastructure are handicapping regions of the country, such as the Northeast, that are desperate for energy.   “Meanwhile, subsidized intermittent energy resources and public policy decisions to favor renewable energy are flooding interconnection queues and making baseload power from coal, natural gas, and nuclear near uneconomic.   “Making a bad situation worse, generation developers continue experiencing ongoing supply chain constraints for distribution transformers and generation turbines.   “As we will hear today, House Republicans are not alone in raising the alarm.   “Today’s discussion will help illuminate the ways in which grid operators, utilities, and co-ops are all addressing these challenging dynamics to protect reliability and affordability while providing the opportunity to grow job creating industries.   “The witnesses before us will provide a wholistic view of the nation’s electricity system, the unique characteristics of each respective region of the country, and the challenges facing different grid governing regimes.   “PJM, the nation’s largest Regional Transmission Organization, which spans 13 states and Washington, D.C. including my home state of Ohio, organizes competitive wholesale markets to buy and sell electricity and monitors reliability standards across their multistate footprint.  “In the West, Basin Electric Co-operative members serve three million consumers across nine states, spanning both vertically integrated states and organized markets.   “Southern Company, a traditional vertically integrated utility, reliably serves customers across the southeast with a diverse portfolio of generating resources.   “I look forward to the discussion today about how each respective entity and region are confronting this new frontier of demand expansion.   “This committee will play an integral role in laying the groundwork to unlock the necessary capital investment for job creating industries, while ensuring affordable and reliable energy for American households and small businesses.   “Thank you and I yield back the balance of my time.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Fixing Biden's Broadband Blunder. Subcommittee Chairman Hudson's opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Closing the digital divide is a top priority for this Committee. Too many Americans, particularly those in rural America, like so many places in my home state of North Carolina, lack access to reliable high-speed broadband. With so much of everyday life requiring an internet connection, this is a vital need. “Since 2020, Congress has provided billions of dollars to connect unserved Americans. The most significant effort is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or I-I-J-A. This massive bill included the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). “It has been over 3 years since the IIJA became law, and we are still waiting for the first home to be connected using these funds. I think we should understand how this happened.  “First, FCC maps that Biden-FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel said would be ready in “months” instead took much longer to develop.  “Then, the Biden-Harris Administration saddled the BEAD program with regulations unrelated to broadband to appease left-wing interest groups.  “These included technology preferences, burdensome labor rules, and climate change requirements, to name a few.  “Worse, the Biden Administration flagrantly ignored the law by forcing states to regulate broadband rates before NTIA would approve their proposals, even though the law explicitly prohibits rate regulation. “These actions did nothing to deploy broadband but instead created confusion while making the program less attractive to providers and deployment more expensive.  “Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans are committed to fixing these blunders so that every American has access to broadband as quickly as possible.  “That’s why today, I—along with many Republicans on this Committee—introduced the SPEED for BEAD Act.  “This bill would eliminate the burdensome Biden regulations so that we can get money out the door and shovels into the ground as soon as possible.  “Specifically, this bill would eliminate the unnecessary and expensive regulations NTIA imposed, further clarify that rate regulation by NTIA or any other entity is prohibited, ensure that the program is run on a technology-neutral basis, and more efficiently use tax dollars by ensuring that awards to providers are cost effective and that funds are only used for deployment.  “These changes to the BEAD program can be implemented quickly, provide certainty to the states, and not hinder the progress that states have already made.  “And I’m excited to hear that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, just a few minutes ago, announced that he’s launching a review of the BEAD program to cut red tape, eliminate waste, and make sure Americans get connected faster. I’m thrilled to have him join me in this effort.  “Reforming BEAD is one important step to ensuring every American has broadband, but it is not enough. We also need to reform the permitting process for broadband projects. If we do not reform this process, all of this money will get tied up in burdensome permitting reviews resulting in more unnecessary delays.  “For the past three Congresses, Energy and Commerce Republicans have introduced legislation to streamline the broadband permitting process.  “We have proposed codifying existing shot clocks to provide predictability in state and local permit reviews, exempting previously disturbed lands from duplicative and burdensome environmental and historic preservation reviews, and instilling transparency and urgency in permitting on federal lands. “Some of these bills had bipartisan support and passed the House last Congress.  “Unfortunately, Democrats refused to work with us on the most meaningful reforms, which were included in Representative Carter’s American Broadband Deployment Act.  “I hope this new Congress and the urgency of this moment will inspire bipartisan cooperation on this effort. We must do everything we can to remove these unnecessary barriers to deployment. “Unserved Americans have waited too long for the promise of connectivity.  “But now is the moment to close the digital divide once and for all.  “Today’s hearing is an opportunity to hear from stakeholders about how to address the challenges that could stop that from happening. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses.  “I now yield five minutes to my colleague, Ranking Member Doris Matsui, for her opening statement.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing titled  Moving the Goalposts: How NIL is Reshaping College Athletics. Subcommittee Chairman Bilirakis' opening statement as prepared for delivery: “Good morning and thank you to our witnesses for being here. I’m really excited to hold this hearing today on the evolving landscape of Name, Image, and Likeness—commonly known as NIL—and its impact on college athletics.   “In just a few years, college athletics has fundamentally reshaped the lives of student-athletes who can now benefit from their NIL. Before 2021, athletes were barred from profiting off of their own NIL, but in response to legal challenges and a Supreme Court decision, the NCAA ended those restrictions, finally giving our student-athletes their much-deserved ability to earn compensation for their brand and God given talent. “However, the absence of a preemptive uniform standard has led to a 'Wild West' environment where, sadly, our student athletes are put in vulnerable positions where they can easily be exploited by those who do not have their best interests in mind. I’ve heard awful stories of student athletes signing deals without having been given full explanations for how their deal would impact their long-term finances and livelihood.   “This lack of structure has also allowed NIL collectives, who are often affiliated with universities but operating independently, to turn NIL into a pay-for-play system. Instead of being used for legitimate business opportunities, NIL deals are frequently given out as recruiting inducements, with little transparency or oversight. “I’m also concerned about the transfer portal. All of us want to make sure student athletes have the freedom to make the best collegiate and educational decisions for themselves and for their future. “But this current system is not workable as athletes are entering the portal at an unprecedented rate, sometimes multiple times in their careers with a hope, but not a guarantee, for something better. “I’m sure we have all heard the stories of student athletes being encouraged to transfer schools based on promises of NIL money that never materializes. Others transfer expecting better playing time, only to find themselves in a worse situation. This revolving-door system has created instability for both athletes and the programs they leave behind, with many student-athletes ending up without a clear academic or athletic path. “We often focus on NIL and the business side of college athletics, but we must remember that these are still student athletes—young men and women who are supposed to be receiving an education that prepares them for a life beyond sports. Yet, too many are making life-altering financial and academic decisions without the proper guidance. “Some are signing NIL deals without understanding tax and legal implications. Others are transferring from school to school without receiving the academic support they need to graduate.  “If we are serious about protecting student-athletes, we need to ensure they have the resources and education necessary to navigate this new era successfully.  That’s why I’m so glad to have Emily and Anthony with us today. Thank you for sharing your stories as student athletes and how you were able to traverse this complex environment. It gives all student athletes the chance to learn and better themselves.  “That brings me to a point I really want to drive home. We are working on this issue, not to put one school over another, even though, and cover your ears, Coach Beamer, I would love to see my Florida Gators hoist that championship trophy again soon. “No, we are doing this for the student athletes, for the young men and women who advance to college so that they can continue playing the sports they love and use that experience to help them succeed throughout their lives. “So, it is crucial we establish a preemptive standard that protects student-athletes but also doesn’t endanger the many sports programs that we don’t see on ESPN or that bring in billions of dollars. “This is too important of an issue to get wrong, so I look forward to a thoughtful discussion and working toward solutions that support both student-athletes and the long-term future of college sports. “With that, I yield back.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade led a hearing titled Moving the Goalposts: How NIL is Reshaping College Athletics . “Student athletes have the right to benefit from use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) but the rapid evolution of NIL has created a chaotic and unpredictable system,” said Chairman Bilirakis. “During today’s Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee hearing, we discussed ways to stabilize the NIL environment and ensure the well-being of student athletes while preserving the integrity of college sports. We look forward to advancing this important priority.” Watch the full hearing here . Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing: Representative Jay Obernolte (CA-23): “When I was in college, I played on the Caltech football team. Go Beavers! But then later in my life, I got into video game development, and my company did the development of NCAA College Football for EA Sports in 1998 and 1999. I remember vividly having the argument of ‘why can't we use the student athletes' names in the game?’ They told us that we could use your number. We could use your stats. We could make a player that looked vaguely like you, but not too much like you. And I remember saying, ‘this is completely stupid because everybody loses!’ The student athletes lose because they're not allowed to get compensated. We as game designers lose because we're not allowed to design a game around the athletes as we wanted to. The players of the game lose because they're not allowed to see the players that they love and recognize in the games that they bought. So, we have an opportunity here to create a system where everybody wins. And if we create a system where someone loses, then we’re not doing our jobs right.” Representative Diana Harshbarger (TN-01): “I got a lot of worries about this NIL. I have two grandsons coming up. They love football, basketball, the whole nine yards. I worry about the number of times they can go through the portal. I worry about the agents and the collectives. Is there standardization? Do they need to have some type of accreditation? I worry about no limit on outside money.” Representative Tom Kean (NJ-07): “As the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, NIL has created new opportunities for student athletes, also raising concerns about fairness, recruitment, and the role of higher education in sports. As we consider federal legislation, it is critical that we strike the right balance, ensuring that athletes can benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), preserving the integrity of college athletics and keeping competition fair for all schools, including those in New Jersey.” ###

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, announced a hearing to explore the challenges facing utilities in delivering reliable, affordable electricity to meet the growing demand for power across the United States. “Affordable and reliable electricity is vital to both our economy and national security. Experts have been sounding the alarm about vulnerabilities in the reliability of our electric grid for a number of years. Now, with the growing demand for AI, it is even more essential that we shore up, and grow, the capacity to generate and deliver power to homes and businesses as well as new data centers,” said Chairmen Guthrie and Latta. “This hearing is an opportunity for us to address this important issue and work toward solutions in order to meet the demands of our electric grid.” Subcommittee on Energy hearing titled Scaling for Growth: Meeting the Demand for Reliable, Affordable Electricity . WHAT: Subcommittee on Energy hearing on energy demand and grid reliability  DATE: Wednesday, March 5, 2025      TIME: 10:00 AM ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at energycommerce.house.gov . If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Calvin Huggins at Calvin.Huggins1@mail.house.gov . If you have any press-related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov .  ###