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Senate Energy Committee questions nominees on NEPA timelines, EIA independence, DOE staffing and grid reliability
Summary
During a May 8 hearing, nominees for Department of the Interior solicitor and two Department of Energy assistant secretary positions answered questions about expedited NEPA timelines, recent staff losses at DOE and the Energy Information Administration's independence.
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on May 8 questioned three presidential nominees about permitting timelines, the independence and recent actions of the Energy Information Administration, staffing losses at the Department of Energy, and policies to support grid reliability and fossil-energy research.
William Duffmeier, nominated to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior; Catherine Jerezah, nominated to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Electricity; and Kyle Haustfeit, nominated to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy, each gave opening remarks and answered senators' questions about those topics. Senator Heinrich said he would withhold his support for the EIA administrator and explained his reasoning in the earlier business meeting vote: “So I will be voting no on this confirmation.”
In written and oral exchanges, senators pressed nominees on specific items. Chairman Lee asked whether Interior can meet aggressive permitting deadlines that would aim to complete environmental assessments in 14 days and environmental impact statements in 28 days; Duffmeier said he was "familiar with NEPA" and…
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