On the Hill in September and October 2024: A Breakdown of Climate, Energy, and Environmental Hearings | Article

Congress held a total of 14 hearings on climate, energy, and environmental topics across September and October of 2024. The Republican-led House of Representatives held 10 of these hearings, while the Democrat-led Senate held four. Eight different committees across the House and Senate covered environmental, energy, or climate legislation.

Water was a perennial issue in Congressional hearings in September and October, and was especially relevant with the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (H.R.8812/S.4367)—which both the House and the Senate have passed—gearing up for reconciliation. The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing to examine the impact of the Sackett v. EPA decision on water conservation and management. Additionally, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing to receive testimony on bills addressing tribal water rights, such as the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024 (S.4633), the Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024 (S.4643), the Yavapai Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Act (S.4705), and the Navajo Nation Rio San José Stream System Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024 (S.4998). The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing to discuss various water management bills, including amendments to the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-11), reauthorization of the Reclamation Rural Water Supply Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-451), amendments to the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015 (P.L. 113-235), and others.

With natural disasters striking across the country in record frequency and intensity this year, several House committees met to discuss the future of climate change adaptation and mitigation. The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing to assess the efficacy of building codes in disaster mitigation. Looking to climate adaptation through grid security, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on resilience in Puerto Rico’s electrical grid and its ability to recover from hurricanes and other natural disaster events. Additionally, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing to explore the possibilities of marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) for climate change mitigation, outlining the methods available for mCDR and their associated costs and benefits.

Technology has become an increasingly central focus on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers examining the impact and role it has on climate change. In line with these discussions, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural resources held a hearing to examine the energy needs of advanced computing research and technology and another hearing to examine the development of fusion energy technologies and its role in energy security.

Republican-led committees held hearings to provide oversight on environmental issues. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing, “Holding the Biden-Harris EPA Accountable for Radical Rush-to-Green Spending,” in which the Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector general testified on the agency’s management of grants, spending, and data under the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58). Lastly, the House Budget Committee held a hearing, titled “The Cost of the Biden-Harris Energy Crisis”, to discuss the impact on energy pricing from the expansion of renewable energy.

To keep up with Congressional hearings in the future, get EESI’s weekly Environmental and Energy Congressional Round-Up by subscribing to our biweekly newsletter, Climate Change Solutions.

Author: Joshua Cohen