Reforming the CWA to Streamline Permitting

The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the main law overseeing the water quality of U.S. surface waters. It was intended to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters” and consists of two major parts: 1) authorizing financial assistance for wastewater treatment plant construction, and 2) imposing regulatory requirements for those who discharge into navigable waters, including industrial and municipal actors.

For the last several years, however, the CWA has been abused by radical leftist activists, government bureaucrats, and others to delay permitting and hinder domestic energy products for their ‘Green New Scam’ political agenda. Additionally, CWA permitting processes have become increasingly confusing and costly, preventing economic growth.

The CWA was meant to protect communities and water quality – not handicap America’s energy sector and block critical infrastructure with costly and unpredictable permitting delays.

House Republicans are taking on this harmful CWA bureaucracy through a comprehensive package of 15 bills that include targeted, common-sense reforms to cut burdensome red tape, streamline the permitting process, and enhance regulatory certainty. 

This legislation supports domestic energy producers, the agriculture sector, home and road builders, small businesses, and water utilities by allowing them to operate with regulatory efficiency and increased transparency by restoring CWA to its intended scope while protecting and promoting clean water. 

H.R. 3898, the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act, sponsored by Rep. Mike Collins, contains 15 bills to amend the Clean Water Act by enacting targeted reforms that will improve the permitting process for permit seekers and holders by speeding up the permit issuance process, reducing burdensome and irrational requirements, and providing regulatory clarity for permitting agencies.

House Republicans will continue our fight to remove regulatory burdens and streamline permitting, unleashing American energy production and increasing affordability.
 
Ensuring Energy Reliability and Affordability

Electricity demand in the United States is increasing rapidly due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the data centers that power it, domestic manufacturing, and electrification of sectors across the economy. North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) projects peak demand will grow by 151 GW by 2034.

However, while demand has been rising, so have premature retirements of crucial baseload power plants due to Democrats’ overly burdensome federal environmental regulations and energy policies implemented over the last several years. NERC reports that around 115 GW of thermal generation has announced to retire by 2034, reducing our electricity generating capabilities at a time when we need it most and further threatening our nation’s supply of reliable energy.

Many Democrat-led states have pushed for wind or solar energy by imposing “green” standards that shut down baseload power plants, despite wind and solar lacking the reliability, consistency, voltage, and frequency support needed to keep the lights on when we need it most. A recent Department of Energy report found that our projected demands for electricity, when paired with the projected retirements of baseload generating units, could potentially increase the threat of power outages by 100 times by 2030.

A lack of energy and energy reliability leads to higher costs for American households. Today, House Republicans are bringing forward legislation to make sure states are planning electric generation facilities in a way that increases reliability and affordability of energy for hardworking Americans.

Rep. Gabe Evans' legislation, H.R. 3628, the State Planning for Reliability & Affordability Act, amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to create a new federal standard for state regulatory authorities to consider requirements for utilities to have reliable and sufficient generation from dispatchable energy sources as part of their resource plans over a 10-year period.

House Republicans will always fight to ensure American energy security and reliability and to keep the power on in American homes.
 
Bolstering America’s Electric Supply Chain

America’s bulk power system – often referred to as one of the most complex and advanced machines ever built – consists of vast networks of generating facilities, high voltage transmission lines, fuel distribution facilities, and essential infrastructure, providing a reliable and sufficient supply of electricity for all Americans. 

Electricity supports the entire U.S. economy and must be used as soon as it is generated, and demand is only increasing with the rapid growth of industries like artificial intelligence. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) projects electricity demand to grow by 151 GW by 2034, while in the same period as much as 115 GW of thermal generation has announced to retire.

In order to ensure we meet the growing demand, it is critical we constantly assess the bulk power system and work to address threats, disruptions, supply chain constraints, and any other weakness that could risk our ability to keep the lights on. Specifically, supply chain disruptions for essential grid components could hinder critical generation and transmission development. Currently, America relies on imports for 31 out of 35 critical minerals necessary for our defense and economy.

Americans’ safety and our economy depends on reliable energy and electricity. As historic levels of demand lead us closer to an energy crisis, we must do all we can to ensure we have reliable, safe access to electricity and don’t over-rely on other countries for our energy needs. House Republicans are bringing legislation to ensure the Department of Energy (DOE) proactively monitors, identifies, and mitigates supply chain risks that could undermine grid reliability and energy affordability for hardworking Americans.

Rep. Bob Latta’s legislation, H.R. 3638, the Electric Supply Chain Act, instructs the Department of Energy to hold periodic assessments of the electric generation, transmission infrastructure, and grid supply chain and consult stakeholders across the industry to produce recommendations for addressing reliability issues. 

House Republicans will continue working to secure our supply chain and make sure Americans always have access to reliable, affordable electricity. 
Cutting Red Tape and Expanding Opportunities for Investors

Currently, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules for investing in private markets are outdated and focus on wealth instead of financial knowledge, unfairly blocking average Americans from investing in promising startups. Additionally, most venture funding goes to cities on America's coasts, while entrepreneurs from the Midwest, South, and rural areas are overlooked. 

Meanwhile, over the last several years, public markets have shrunk, with the number of American public companies dropping from 8,800 in 1997 to less than 4,000 today. This drop costs American jobs and reduces investment opportunities for retirement savers. 

Today, House Republicans are bringing forward a package of more than 20 bipartisan bills focused on capital formation to cut federal red tape, lower the cost of being a public company, create more opportunities for Americans to invest in and build long-term net worth through the markets, and empower small businesses by reducing regulatory burdens on businesses and investors and incentivizing companies in the U.S. to go public.
H.R. 3383, the INVEST Act, introduced by Rep. Ann Wagner, consists of 22 bipartisan bills to increase access to capital for small businesses, expand opportunities for investors, and bolster our public markets, maintaining investor protections while increasing exposure to private markets.

House Republicans are working to improve capital markets regulation, ensure our financial markets continue to grow stronger, and increase opportunities for American investors to build wealth and save for the future.