Congressman Fred Upton kicked off testimony regarding the U.S. Department of Energy’s budget before the House Subcommittee on Energy Thursday. Speaking to Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Upton said the energy budget is critical at a time when the production landscape is quickly changing.
“Over the last decade, we’ve emerged as the world’s leading producer of oil and natural gas, and at the same time, we lead the world in CO2 emission reductions,” Upton said.
Upton said that shows energy production and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive. Of interest to him is policy regarding nuclear energy, which he added is a leading emission-free source.
“We’ve done a lot of work in this Congress, and we intend to do a lot more,” Upton said. “On this point, I much appreciate your budget proposal to include some funding to restart the defense of the Yucca Mountain license before the NRC.”
Upton asked Perry to describe plans to ensure reliability in disasters, and how the Department of Energy plans to work more closely with states. The U.S. Department of Energy’s budget is around $30 billion.
