A costly federal takeover of state hydraulic fracturing regulations proposed by the Obama administration threatens American jobs and energy production – and the Natural Resources Committee will consider legislation today to stop it from happening. The Protecting States’ Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act (H.R. 2728) is a bipartisan bill introduced by Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX). It prohibits Washington from overriding states that have been safely and successfully regulating hydraulic fracturing on federal land. Several witnesses testified to the Natural Resources Committee last week that duplicative federal rules would undermine more efficient and rigorous state regulations. “Unnecessary, cumbersome federal oversight will slow Texas’ current efficient processes,” said the chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. “We know that efficient, consistent and predictable regulation within the energy industry is the key to our state’s economic success, and the success of domestic U.S. energy production.” The chair of the Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission said “duplicative regulation of an already stringently regulated process” would create needless confusion, which would undermine economic growth and jeopardize America’s access to affordable energy. At another recent Congressional hearing, witnesses testified that affordable energy is “helping to revive American factories and bring jobs and investment back [...]
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