Issue Position: Energy

Issue Position

Rep. Whitfield believes that America must develop an "All of the Above' energy strategy that responsibly develops and uses the sources of energy available in America. This strategy should include Kentucky coal, domestic oil reserves, natural gas, nuclear power and hydroelectricity as well as wind, solar and other renewable forms of electricity. However, with electricity demand expected to increase 30 percent growth by 2035, Rep. Whitfield believes that the United States simply cannot rely on renewables such as wind and solar alone as some in Congress would like to do.

As the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power, Rep. Whitfield continues to advance an "All of the Above' energy strategy that will employ Kentuckians and address domestic energy demands without unnecessary government regulation that results in higher energy prices, delayed resource exploration or stunted job growth. Rep. Whitfield is especially concerned that overreaching government regulations will have a negative effect on America's coal industry, which creates more than 134,000 jobs directly and supports 3.4 million jobs indirectly across the nation. In Kentucky, 17,900 jobs are created directly by coal.

Rep. Whitfield is also committed to ensuring that the cleanup being conducted at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant is completed and to working with local community and industry officials to redevelop the area. As part of this redevelopment, Rep. Whitfield has worked to assure that the resources on the site, such as the stockpile uranium, nickel, and other metals can be productively used to generate funds for environmental cleanup and for the community to reindustrialize this area and retain and create jobs.

In the current session of Congress, Rep. Whitfield has advanced a bill (H.R. 910) through the House that would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing regulations on emissions outside of their authority and without consulting Congress. As Subcommittee Chairman, Rep. Whitfield also plans to examine other proposed regulations from the EPA that will drive up energy costs and issues related to electricity transmission, nuclear power and responsible domestic resource development.

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