Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Chair of the House Republican Conference, released the following statement after being named a Conferee for the Energy Policy Modernization Act (S.2012), the first comprehensive energy bill in nearly ten years.
“This legislation significantly reforms our energy and public lands practices to allow for innovation in Washington State,” said McMorris Rodgers. “I am proud to be leading the hydropower and forestry reforms that are included in this bill, and I believe it is important they remain strong components in any final version. I look forward to strengthening this legislation and delivering for Eastern Washington. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as a Conferee on this landmark energy package.”
NOTE: S.2012 includes provisions authored by McMorris Rodgers on both hydropower and forestry issues. She introduced the hydropower language as a bipartisan amendment in Committee. The most important provisions streamline and modernize the hydropower relicensing process, substantially lowering costs while providing certainty for the industry. McMorris Rodgers’s language allows for increased collaboration and transparency by gathering the stakeholders at the start of the relicensing process to provide their expertise to maintain the surrounding ecosystem’s environmental integrity. McMorris Rodgers previously introduced the first forestry reform bill this Congress, and many of her ideas were incorporated in the Resilient Federal Forests Act. Her work helps to prevent catastrophic wildfire, effectively fight fires when they happen, improve forest health, and bring jobs to rural communities.