Full speed ahead

Bruce Westerman hit the ground running at the first official hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee in the new Congress.

With the House of Representatives now back in Republican hands (though the grip is loose), Rep. Westerman presided over his first committee meeting as chairman. The Hot Springs Republican and former Arkansas state legislator had been the ranking Republican on the committee that helps decide U.S. energy policy. He ascended to the chairmanship after the GOP took back the House in the midterms.

In their opening remarks, Chairman Westerman and new ranking member Raul Grijalva, the Arizona Democrat who previously chaired the committee, cut to the chase and perhaps set the tone for what we can expect for the next cycle from a committee destined to receive a lot of press.

Environmental issues represent some of the most contentious of the day. And what we likely can expect is more contention over how to realistically transition to clean energy while keeping the lights on and the cars gassed up.

Both Westerman and Grijalva read from their respective parties’ playbooks, tossing out oratory red meat like Mardi Gras beads. Mr. Westerman started off by refuting what he said is a narrative that Republicans don’t care about the environment. And he chastised Democrats for creating the idea of a false utopia centered around electric vehicles.

“I have no problem with electric vehicles, but they’re not going to solve the world’s problems, they’re not going to solve any kind of climate crisis, and they’re certainly not going to make America more energy independent and energy secure.”

The congressmen also rightly pointed out the increasing international reliance on fossil fuels, a demand that won’t be met by EVs or solar panels.

“It’s imperative that we look at the resources we’re blessed with [and] that we develop those with the best technology and innovation possible, and that we do what’s best for the American people and the world.”

Mr. Grijalva, meanwhile, chastised the oil “Goliaths,” criticizing them for turning record profits amid what he called ongoing environmental problems. And it is a bad look.

Once the meeting got rolling, members debated changes to the permitting process for energy projects. Last session, West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin tried to broker a deal that would’ve shortened the permitting process and resulted in the completion of a natural gas pipeline in his neck of the woods. His bill got torpedoed at the last minute by then-Chairman Grijalva.

Changing the permitting process for energy projects will be a tough legislative nut to crack, indeed. But Chairman Westerman reminded his colleagues: “The demand for energy is not going down; it’s going up. That energy has to come from somewhere, and we know that if we don’t produce it here in the United States, then the market is going to cause us to import that energy.”

The Arkansas Republican has a potential ally in Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell, who offered to work with him to find a compromise on permitting.

“For me, I look at permitting reform as a tool to combat climate change, strengthen our economy and protect our national security, but we must bring everyone to the table to do this right,” she said.

Good for her. Sounds like a winwin-win for us. May a future Westerman-Dingell committee caucus find many such wins.