Secretary Granholm Testifies in Front of Energy and Commerce Committee

Speaking to the House Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee this month, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm testified to the department’s 2025 Fiscal Year budget request. Seeking over $50 billion in its FY 2025 budget, the Department of Energy and its leader laid out its priorities for the upcoming year—laying the foundation for a clean energy economy and ensuring the U.S. reaches net-zero emissions by 2050.

Innovative technologies hold promise—they should not be hamstrung—but their support should not result in the restriction of oil and gas. U.S. electricity demand is forecasted to grow significantly over the next few years, due in large part to the proliferation of artificial intelligence, data centers and manufacturing. The U.S. should be investing production and efficient transportation of the vital energy to meet the estimated demand.

In Secretary Granholm’s submitted testimony, the leader of the Department of Energy does not mention oil or gas once. The lifeblood of our economy, these energy sources are vital for our everyday lives, from driving and cooking to heating and cooling our homes. Granholm writes that the Department is focused on “onshoring and reshoring supply chains and turning America back into a manufacturing powerhouse,” a noble and good cause. However, before renewable technologies can power that retransformation, it will be achieved by a strengthening of our electrical grids through new oil and gas infrastructure.

And guess who agrees? Secretary Jennifer Granholm. In front of the subcommittee, Granholm agreed with Chairman Duncan, saying, “in some places, we will need to build new pipelines.” Additionally, Chairman Duncan asked the Secretary if she would rather use domestic natural gas or import it, to which she said, “we have enough supply here.” The Chairman used that opportunity to note that that is why New England desperately needs a pipeline, the safest method of oil and gas transportation, because the region currently imports the fuel.