Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) introduced the Energy Poverty Prevention Act (EPPA) to the House of Representatives this morning. Rep. Hern previously introduced EPPA last Congress.  

“Transparency is at the heart of a lot of the bills and ideas I’ve supported since coming to Congress,” said Rep. Hern. “In light of recent decisions out of the Biden Administration to destroy energy jobs in Oklahoma, drive gas prices through the roof, and impede access to the traditional energy sources that Americans depend on, we must ensure that our most vulnerable are protected. Clean energy shows a lot of promise, but we cannot leave at-risk communities behind in the process. If a new policy will raise prices at the pump in low-income areas, or further impede access in rural communities, we need to know that up front. My goal with EPPA is to ensure that energy remains affordable and accessible to all Americans.”

Ten original co-sponsors joined Rep. Hern on EPPA, including Oklahoma Representatives Tom Cole (OK-04) and Markwayne Mullin (OK-02).

Background Information

The Energy Poverty Prevention Act:

• States that it is the policy of the United States that all citizens should have equal access to affordable and reliable energy to maintain personal health and economic security and that the United States should mitigate the disparate impact of increases in the cost of energy on at-risk communities.
• States that the President or designee of a President cannot take any of the following actions without first having a study conducted to determine if the activity is likely to impose disproportionate costs on at-risk communities or increase the likelihood that at-risk communities will experience energy poverty and job losses:
  • Declare a moratorium on the leasing of federal lands for drilling, mining, or collection of oil, gas, coal, or related activities
  • Prohibit or delay (with respect to federal land) issuing a new oil and gas lease, drill permit approval or authorization, a new coal lease, permit, approval or authorization, or a new hard rock lease, permit approval, or authorization
  • Withdrawal federal land from forms of entry
• Requires the Secretary of the Interior to identify barriers to the ability of at-risk communities that live on or near Federal land or Tribal land to access reliable and affordable energy, including how the presence of adequate energy transmission infrastructure affects such access.
• Directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Chief of the Forest Service to identify actions they can take to reduce the barriers to energy access, including establishing lower fees or lowering other costs, streamlining the approval of rights-of-way on such land, encouraging the private energy sector to invest in Federal and Tribal lands, and rapidly developing transmission and delivery systems in remote areas.
• Requires CBO to report how a bill or resolution will affect the cost of energy in at-risk communities in applicable CBO reports.
• Requires the GAO to analyze Federal energy and environmental laws and regulations, as well as State renewable portfolio standards, to determine how such laws, regulations, and standards affect electricity prices, home heating prices, gasoline prices, motor vehicle prices, natural gas prices, and household appliance prices in at-risk communities.
• Requires GAO to develop criteria to determine whether an at-risk community is experiencing energy poverty and issue a report to Congress identifying such communities and providing recommendations regarding how to reduce energy poverty.
• Requires the Office of Management and Budget to analyze each energy regulation having an effect of $100 million or more on the economy to determine if it imposes, relative to the general population, disproportionate costs on at-risk communities.

Bill text for the Energy Poverty Prevention Act can be found here.

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