FEATURE
Energy at the Forefront of Federal Policy Agenda By: Jack Belcher and Brent Greenfield
F
ollowing a brief two-year hiatus that featured oneparty control in the House, Senate and White House, with January’s arrival of the 116th Congress, many are rightly focused on how the return of divided government will impact energy policy in the U.S. While the new Congress has been convened for barely over a month, elected officials have taken several early steps to highlight the fact that energy policy will be a major point of emphasis on Capitol Hill over the next two years. In its first weeks, members of the House and Senate have introduced bills to, among other things, address physical and cybersecurity concerns for pipelines and LNG facilities, reform and streamline federal permitting for onshore oil and gas projects, and allow states to conduct environmental reviews typically carried out by federal agencies. Recent comments by Senate Republicans suggest that certain areas may be ripe for pursuit and advancement. For example,
While the new Congress has been convened for barely over a month, elected officials have taken several early steps to highlight the fact that energy policy will be a major point of emphasis on Capitol Hill over the next two years
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SHALE MAGAZINE MARCH/APRIL 2019
in a December interview with E&E News, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski (RAK) cited technology, cybersecurity, the Smart Grid and grid modernization as among the subjects on which Congress could reach an agreement. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Joe Manchin (D-WV) subsequently underscored the potential for movement when he noted that technology research and development would be a major focus for the committee. In calling for the application of innovation rather than regulation to address climate issues, in a Dec. 2018 New York Times oped Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) specifically discussed legislative opportunities to support technological advances that will reduce carbon emissions and encourage greater utilization of nuclear energy. Infrastructure is one high-profile topic that is certain to be front and center given that both Congress and the White House are seeking a legislative package. Recently, House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) conveyed a sense of urgency in announcing that he would convene a hearing in February to address infrastructure needs, saying, “I want people to emphasize how stupid we are and how unbelievably expensive it is if we don’t make these investments and we take the system to failure.” Previous legislative proposals provide a potential roadmap on how a broad infrastructure bill might address energy. For example, a 2017 energy bill introduced by Senators Murkowski and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) addressed areas including cyber-
Brent Greenfield serves as Vice President and Counsel at Cornerstone Energy Solutions. He provides clients with strategic policy and management guidance, research, analysis and communications support across the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of the energy industry. In addition, Brent serves as executive director of the National Ocean Policy Coalition, an organization comprised of members representing sectors including energy, fishing, waterborne transportation, construction, agriculture, and critical infrastructure.
Jack Belcher joins Cornerstone in 2019 with over 25 years of experience in energy and energy policy. As senior vice president of Cornerstone Energy Solutions, he provides strategic and tactical advice to energy and transportation companies and financial institutions, focusing on government relations, regulatory affairs, public policy, strategical communications, situational risk management, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. Jack also serves as managing director of the National Ocean Policy Coalition.