U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Jeff Duncan (R-SC), chair of the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee, recently unveiled the Pipeline Safety, Modernization, and Expansion Act of 2023, which incorporated energy pipeline safety initiatives.
With regard to pipeline safety, the draft legislation would discourage attacks on critical pipeline infrastructure via the strengthened penalties for damaging, destroying, or impairing the operation of pipeline facilities and enhance federal and state pipeline safety programs by increasing funding to state pipeline safety inspectors and implementing innovative accident prevention initiatives.
“Pipelines are among the safest and most efficient ways to move the fuels that heat our homes, power our cars and power our nation’s economy,” Rodgers and Duncan said.
The Biden administration efforts to shut down the nation’s pipelines are preventing critical resources from getting to people who need them most, the legislators said.
“The Pipeline Safety, Modernization, and Expansion Act of 2023 will ensure we can build more pipelines, maintain our current critical infrastructure, operate pipelines safely, transport more energy and lower energy prices,” the legislators said. “We look forward to continuing to engage with stakeholders on this draft legislation to ensure everyone will have access to these critical energy resources.”