‘Shouldn’t Be A Difficult Exercise’: Rosa DeLauro Confronts Energy Sec. On DoE’s Oversight Noncompliance

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During Wednesday’s House Appropriations Committee hearing, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) questioned Energy Secretary Chris Wright about the department’s inability to comply with congressional oversight requests.

Transcript

00:03At this time, Mr. Secretary, I would like to recognize the Ranking Member of the full

00:10Appropriations Committee, Rosa DeLauro from Connecticut.

00:15Ranking Member.

00:16Thank you very, very much, Mr. Chairman and the Ranking Member captor and welcome to you,

00:21Mr. Secretary.

00:22Delighted.

00:23I apologize to my colleagues for interloping, but there are five hearings I'm trying to

00:26get to today.

00:27And this is the second.

00:31Let me just talk about the budget for 2026, which makes strategic investments that lower

00:40energy costs for American families, promote American energy independence, support a robust

00:46modern manufacturing sector.

00:49I want to know more about the funding that's already been appropriated in law.

00:54The fiscal year 2025 continuing resolution required the Department of Energy to submit

01:00a spend plan for the department at a level of detail provided for in the previous year's

01:08explanatory statement within 45 days of the enacted legislation.

01:14legislation.

01:15The department has not met this deadline and did not submit to the committee a spend plan.

01:21We were supposed to get spend plans by the end of April at the level of detail as required

01:27by law in the continuing resolution.

01:29legislation.

01:30It shouldn't be a difficult exercise since it's the fiscal year 2024 energy and water bill

01:37included the Department of Energy funding tables into law.

01:42It dictates all the programs, project activity levels for DOE except for the three accounts exempted

01:50by the continuing resolution so that we have the blueprint.

01:54Because by law for 2025, we are under the year long CR reflecting the 2024 budget as enacted.

02:05So when will the department comply with the requirement of the continuing resolution to submit a spend

02:10plan with required level of detail?

02:13Will that spend plan follow the law by using all levels incorporated into statute from the

02:19fiscal year 2024 energy and water bill?

02:22Yes.

02:24Thank you for being here, Congresswoman DeLauro.

02:28And I've spoken to this a little bit beforehand, but I can summarize that as well.

02:32When I walked into the department, I mentioned we had a rushed commitment just in the loan

02:38program office of a hundred billion dollars in the 76 days from election day in November

02:44to inauguration day.

02:46So we are funding and paying all of our bills that are current for work done.

02:51But do we know whether the projects that we have are going to meet the next hurdle to

02:55go on to the next step?

02:57We do not know that.

02:58Well, let me just say and I just because I want to ask another question.

03:01But the requirement by law under the continuing resolution was to provide the appropriations

03:08committee with a spend plan as to how you want to, for 2025, spend this money.

03:15As I say, it shouldn't be difficult because we're under 2024 and it is all outlined in 2024.

03:23So I really want to press you on getting us that spend plan with detail so we know where

03:30we're trying to go in 2025 because we haven't settled that budget yet given a year long continuing

03:38resolution, which was very specific about getting us the material and how you intend to spend

03:44the money in 2025.

03:46Again, simple.

03:47It's 2024.

03:48You can carry it over.

03:50I've got a fear that we're going to lawless illegally trying to move these funds and move them elsewhere.

04:00But the law of the land is the 2024 enacted budget applied to 2025.

04:08So really, we're going to press on getting that.

04:10Let me move quickly to another question if I can at the moment.

04:17And I want to talk about what's happening right now.

04:21We need to know more about the funding already appropriated into law.

04:24It's not a directive.

04:27It's not an idea or a suggestion.

04:29This committee, Democrats and Republicans, came together, passed legislation, signed by

04:34the President of the United States.

04:35That's how a bill becomes law.

04:37It's very, very simple.

04:39But the department refuses to release more than $67 billion in the face of court orders out

04:45of the $430 billion in frozen funding across the federal government.

04:49Medicaid, $70 million of Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy Awards have been inexplicably recommended

04:55for cancellation, including an award focused on technologies to produce hydrogen energy.

05:00We should be at the forefront of new energy technology, not retreating to the sidelines.

05:05In addition, your department recommended cancelling a $389 million award from the Grid Deployment

05:11Office for the Power Up New England project, produce energy costs for New England customers

05:16by over $1.5 billion, while bringing 4,800 megawatts of offshore wind power online.

05:23It appears that some projects previously deemed worthy of funding are being cancelled without

05:29adequate justification.

05:31Some cases, no clear rationale, other than administrative convenience.

05:36Troubling reports have surfaced suggesting that the review and subsequent cancellations may

05:41be, and I say may be, politically motivated.

05:44These actions will raise energy prices for businesses and families and make the U.S. less competitive.

05:52These are my two questions, and again, it's yes or no.

05:55Can you provide to this committee a list of awards that are being considered or recommended

06:01for cancellation?

06:02Yeah, you listed a couple that have been recommended for cancellation.

06:06Fine, because we can't seem to get the information, that's why I wanted to ask you directly, and

06:12I appreciate that.

06:13Well, that would be great, but getting that list of considered or recommended for cancellation,

06:18and what specific criteria is being used to evaluate awards.

06:24We need to know that in this committee so we can say, yes, you've made a good decision on

06:28this, or let's take another look at this.

06:31So with that, if you can get us that information as quickly as possible, it would be helpful,

06:35and your spend plan.

06:39You bet.

06:40Thank you, Congresswoman.

06:41Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

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