NW Kentucky News

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer and Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Chairman Eric Burlison have initiated an investigation into the energy policies enacted during the Biden Administration. They claim these policies increased prices and limited consumer choices. In a letter addressed to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Comer and Burlison expressed their intent to examine regulatory costs, policies, and special interests from that period.

The lawmakers emphasized that "the Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission—in addition to the newly established National Energy Council and Environmental Advisory Task Force—will serve crucial roles to rectify the damage done by the Biden Administration’s undermining of American energy’s affordability." They highlighted significant increases in gas prices in 2022 and residential electricity prices in 2023 as evidence of these detrimental effects.

Comer and Burlison stated that "Green New Deal policies wreaked havoc on Americans’ wallets," exacerbating inflation's impact on families who struggled with energy bills. They also pointed out that federal agencies recorded $1.4 trillion in net regulatory costs in 2024 alone, with EPA contributing over $1 trillion.

The letter further criticized policy decisions under Biden's leadership for prioritizing Green New Deal objectives over traditional energy sources, arguing that this harmed both suppliers and consumers. The lawmakers continued: "Accompanying sky-rocketing costs, the American people endured jarring energy policy decision changes designed to force Green New Deal behaviors."

They concluded by urging support for President Donald Trump's executive orders aimed at reversing these policies: "These unacceptable costs will continue to be borne disproportionally by consumers until new, America First energy policies are fully implemented."

A request was made for a briefing with committee staff to discuss potential legislative measures to address what they view as flawed energy legacies from the previous administration.