S.Hrg.119-119

1[Senate Hearing 119-119]2[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]34                                                      S. Hrg. 119-11956                          DOFFERMYRE, JEREZA,7                       AND HAUSTVEIT NOMINATIONS8=======================================================================910                                HEARING1112                               BEFORE THE1314                              COMMITTEE ON15                      ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES16                          UNITED STATES SENATE1718                    ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS1920                             FIRST SESSION2122                                   TO2324 CONSIDER THE NOMINATIONS OF WILLIAM DOFFERMYRE TO BE SOLICITOR OF THE25    DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, CATHERINE JEREZA TO BE AN ASSISTANT26    SECRETARY OF ENERGY (ELECTRICITY), AND KYLE HAUSTVEIT TO BE AN27             ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF ENERGY (FOSSIL ENERGY)2829                               __________3031                              MAY 8, 20253233                               __________3435[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]3637                       Printed for the use of the38               Committee on Energy and Natural Resources3940        Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov4142                                __________4344                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE4561-235                    WASHINGTON : 202646-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------4748               COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES4950                        MIKE LEE, Utah, Chairman51JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming               MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico52JAMES E. RISCH, Idaho                RON WYDEN, Oregon53STEVE DAINES, Montana                MARIA CANTWELL, Washington54TOM COTTON, Arkansas                 MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii55DAVID McCORMICK, Pennsylvania        ANGUS S. KING, Jr., Maine56JAMES C. JUSTICE, West Virginia      CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada57BILL CASSIDY, Louisiana              JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, Colorado58CINDY HYDE-SMITH, Mississippi        ALEX PADILLA, California59LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska               RUBEN GALLEGO, Arizona60JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota6162                  Wendy Baig, Majority Staff Director63            Patrick J. McCormick III, Majority Chief Counsel64                 Jasmine Hunt, Minority Staff Director65                 Sam E. Fowler, Minority Chief Counsel6667                           C O N T E N T S6869                              ----------7071                           OPENING STATEMENTS7273                                                                   Page74Lee, Hon. Mike, Chairman and a U.S. Senator from Utah............     175Heinrich, Hon. Martin, Ranking Member and a U.S. Senator from76  New Mexico.....................................................     777Justice, Hon. James C., a U.S. Senator from West Virginia........     878Hoeven, Hon. John, a U.S. Senator from North Dakota..............    117980                               WITNESSES8182Doffermyre, William, nominated to be Solicitor of the Department83  of the Interior................................................    1284Jereza, Catherine, nominated to be an Assistant Secretary of85  Energy (Electricity)...........................................    1686Haustveit, Kyle, nominated to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy87  (Fossil Energy)................................................    208889          ALPHABETICAL LISTING AND APPENDIX MATERIAL SUBMITTED9091Doffermyre, William:92    Opening Statement............................................    1293    Written Testimony............................................    1494    Responses to Questions for the Record........................    4195Haustveit, Kyle:96    Opening Statement............................................    2097    Written Testimony............................................    2298    Responses to Questions for the Record........................    5399Heinrich, Hon. Martin:100    Opening Statement............................................     7101Hoeven, Hon. John:...............................................102    Introductory Statement.......................................    11103Jereza, Catherine:104    Opening Statement............................................    16105    Written Testimony............................................    18106    Responses to Questions for the Record........................    46107Justice, Hon. James C.:108    Introductory Statement.......................................     8109Lee, Hon. Mike:110    Opening Statement............................................     1111    Written Opening Statement....................................     4112McCormick, Hon. David:113    Letter for the Record........................................    10114115                        DOFFERMYRE, JEREZA, AND116                         HAUSTVEIT NOMINATIONS117118                              ----------119120                         THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2025121122                                       U.S. Senate,123                 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,124                                                    Washington, DC.125    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:30 a.m. in Room126SD-366, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Mike Lee, Chairman127of the Committee, presiding.128129              OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MIKE LEE,130                     U.S. SENATOR FROM UTAH131132    The Chairman. Today, we will receive testimony from three133of our fellow citizens nominated by President Trump for senior134offices within our Committee's jurisdiction--one with the135Department of the Interior and two with the Department of136Energy. I thank President Trump for putting their names137forward. After these opening statements, and assuming we are138not interrupted by a vote, I will recognize Senator Justice to139introduce Ms. Jereza and then Senator Hoeven will introduce Mr.140Haustveit.141    Today, we are considering three nominees for these142positions at Energy and at Interior, officers of the United143States responsible for legal affairs, conducting research to144modernize and protect the power grid, and researching and145developing projects to increase domestic production of oil,146gas, coal, and elements necessary for energy. First, we will147hear from Mr. William Doffermyre, to be Solicitor at the148Department of the Interior; second, we will hear from Ms.149Catherine Jereza, to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for150Electricity; and third, we will hear from Mr. Kyle Haustveit,151to be the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy.152    Mr. Doffermyre is the nominee to be the Solicitor for the153Department of the Interior. The Solicitor is the chief legal154officer of the Department, providing legal counsel and advice155to the Secretary and other offices within the Department, as156well as all of its bureaus and offices, ensuring the157Department's components carry out their responsibilities in158accordance with the law. Attorneys from the Solicitor's Office159represent the Department in administrative proceedings and work160collaboratively with attorneys in the Department of Justice to161represent the Department of the Interior at judicial162proceedings. The Solicitor's term also assists in drafting and163reviewing legislation, regulations, and contracts, as well as164upholding the Department's ethical obligations.165    Mr. Doffermyre currently serves as Senior Advisor to the166National Energy Dominance Council at the White House. Prior to167that, he served as a general counsel in corporate America and168was a partner at the law firm of Williams and Connolly. He is a169graduate of the University of Virginia, both as an170undergraduate, where he got his bachelor's degree, and also171where he went to law school, and at Virginia's law school, he172served as an editor on the Virginia Law Review.173    Second, Ms. Catherine Jereza, nominated as Assistant174Secretary of Energy for Electricity, will lead the Department175of Energy's research and development to modernize and harden176America's electric grid infrastructure. That task requires177modernizing grid hardware components, engineering end-to-end178systems for communications, modeling, measurements and179controls, operations and planning, and conducting research and180development into power storage reliability and safety. Ms.181Jereza currently serves as Senior Advisor in the Office of the182Under Secretary, and in the first Trump administration, served183as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transmission, Permitting, and184Technical Assistance. She holds a B.S. in chemical engineering185from Virginia Tech and an M.B.A. from Loyola University,186Maryland.187    And finally today, Mr. Kyle Haustveit, nominated as188Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil Energy, will lead the189Office of Fossil Energy. This division of the Department190focuses on investing in research, development, and191implementation of fossil-fuel-derived projects, as well as192strengthening American energy and critical mineral security.193The Office's core functions include increasing domestic194production and processing of critical minerals and materials,195reducing methane emissions, reviewing applications for LNG196imports and exports, and issuing licenses accordingly. The197Office also manages the National Energy Technology Laboratory198(NETL), which is the lead field center for research and program199development. It is also expected that the President will200restore to this office its longstanding duty of managing201America's strategic petroleum reserve.202    Mr. Haustveit is currently the Geoscience Manager at Devon203Energy, where he directs multi-disciplinary teams responsible204for completions design diagnostic programs, field-development205planning in unconventional reservoirs, and he also manages that206company's affiliate that invests in digital, low-carbon, and207next-generation drilling technologies. Mr. Haustveit holds a208B.S. in petroleum engineering from Montana Technological209University and an M.B.A. from the University of Oklahoma.210    All nominees here today are well qualified for the offices211for which the President has nominated them and they represent212exactly the type of bold leadership that America needs and213deserves now.214    Now, the United States truly is in a battle for our future,215and we won't win it--we won't win the artificial intelligence216race, we won't win in advanced manufacturing, we won't win the217battle for western civilization--unless we win the energy war.218Under the Biden administration, residential electricity rates219skyrocketed a staggering 23 percent, and our energy220independence was significantly compromised. This was the221foreseeable future of an administration defined by burdensome222regulations, reckless climate mandates, and a deliberate war on223reliable American resources like oil, gas, coal, and critical224materials and minerals. These policies weakened our grid. They225inflated our prices and left America vulnerable to adversaries,226adversaries who don't share our interests or our values.227Republicans' agenda for energy dominance is an overdue228departure from this approach. It places American interests229first, prioritizing the responsible development of our abundant230natural resources. The Trump administration recognizes that a231strong America requires a reliable, affordable energy supply232that does not depend on foreign nations, especially adversaries233like China, Russia, or regimes in the Middle East.234    Once confirmed, each of today's nominees will have critical235responsibilities to help achieve this.236    All right, we have a quorum. I am going to pause there,237much as I am sure you were all just riveted by that lovely238statement.239    [Laughter.]240    [Recess to business meeting.]241    The Chairman. We will now proceed directly back into the242hearing.243    I will, in the interest of time, unless there is objection,244submit the rest of my opening statement in written form for the245record.246    [The remainder of the Chairman's opening statement follows247in written form:]248[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]249250    The Chairman. I will turn to Senator Heinrich now for his251opening statement.252253          OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MARTIN HEINRICH,254                  U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW MEXICO255256    Senator Heinrich. Thank you, Chairman.257    Welcome to Mr. Doffermyre, Ms. Jereza, and Mr. Haustveit.258Each of these nominees has been nominated for an important259office with broad responsibilities under this Committee's260jurisdiction.261    The Office of Solicitor of the Department of the Interior262is one of the most important legal offices in our government.263As broad as these authorities are, they are, however, not264unlimited. The Solicitor does not make law, but only interprets265and enforces the laws enacted by Congress. For these reasons, I266am deeply troubled by a senior advisor to Secretary Burgum267using the Solicitor's authority to suspend all of the legal268opinions of the prior Solicitor. We all recognize that269departmental policies will change from one administration to270the next. Our laws, however, do not. I am even more troubled271that this same advisor reinstated an earlier Solicitor's272opinion that had been vacated by a federal district court. The273Department needs to follow the law as interpreted by the274district court, not try to change it on its own. And I will be275very interested to hear your thoughts on these matters, Mr.276Doffermyre.277    The Assistant Secretary of Energy for Electricity is278another office with crucial responsibilities. More than 340279million Americans depend on the electric grid for the power we280need for our daily lives. Americans, today, are facing an281energy affordability crisis as electricity prices are on track282to be the highest they have been since the 1990s. Programs like283the Weatherization Assistance Program and the Home Electric284Appliances Rebate Program are saving American families money.285The proposed cuts to these programs in the President's skinny286budget take money away from families, just as inflation and287tariffs are raising the prices of everyday goods.288    As we all know, the EIA expects that electricity demand289will grow. And as this happens, electricity costs will continue290to rise. We simply won't be able to meet our energy needs291without substantially more transmission and generation.292Expanding transmission planning across regions could lead to293billions of dollars in energy cost savings. And in fact,294scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory295estimate that by 2050 transmission expansion could lead from296$270 billion to as much as $490 billion in savings. We will be297looking to you, Ms. Jereza, if confirmed, to help ensure that298the grid is reliable, resilient, and to see that it has299adequate capacity to add the new generation of resources that300we need to meet our growing demand.301    Finally, the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Fossil302Energy is responsible for natural gas export permitting, but303also has important responsibilities for fossil energy research304and development, critical minerals production, carbon capture305and sequestration, hydrogen production, and methane emissions306reduction. The job is bigger than just issuing export permits,307and I will be interested in hearing your thoughts on these308other matters within the Office's portfolio, Mr. Haustveit.309    Thank you, Chairman.310    The Chairman. Thanks, Senator Heinrich.311    The rules of the Committee require that all nominees be312sworn in connection with their testimonies. So if you would313each please stand and raise your right hand.314    Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to315give before the Committee will be the truth, the whole truth,316and nothing but the truth, so help you God?317    [Witness panel sworn.]318    The Chairman. Thank you.319    And then, before we have you begin with your opening320statements, I will ask the witnesses three standard questions321that are posed to nominees appearing before this Committee.322    First, will you be available to appear before the Committee323and other congressional committees to represent departmental324positions and respond to issues of concern to Congress?325    [All witnesses respond, ``yes.'']326    The Chairman. Second, are you aware of any personal327holdings, investments, or interests that could constitute a328conflict of interest or create the appearance of such conflict,329should you be confirmed and assume the office to which you have330been nominated by the President?331    [All witnesses respond, ``no.'']332    The Chairman. And third, are you involved in or do you have333assets in a blind trust?334    [All witnesses respond, ``no.'']335    The Chairman. Okay, we are going to go to Senator Justice336first, who will introduce Ms. Jereza, and then we will go to337Senator Hoeven to introduce Mr. Haustveit.338339          INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT OF HON. JIM JUSTICE,340                U.S. SENATOR FROM WEST VIRGINIA341342    Senator Justice. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, I really343appreciate the opportunity to introduce and speak very, very344highly of this young lady right here. That's all there is to345it. Katie Jereza and I attended the same high school in346Beckley, West Virginia. That's hard--I'm sorry?347    Senator Hoeven. Around the same time--or not?348    Senator Justice. Well, actually, I was there a few years349earlier.350    [Laughter.]351    Senator Justice. And, in fact, I was amazed that it was352still a high school when I was there. No, I can just tell you353just this, that we are both Flying Eagles from Woodrow Wilson354High School in a little town of Beckley, West Virginia. And355when I grew up--and I am sure when Katie grew up, in all356fairness--I rode my bicycle all the way across town, some four357or five miles, to the little league to go to practice there. It358was the perfect ``Hometown America'' and absolutely, I know we359are really proud of that.360    But, this goes way deeper for me because, absolutely, I361know Katie. I know absolutely all of the great things that she362has done. Just listen, just to a couple of these. Now, just363think about this. She served in the prior Trump administration364as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transmission, Permitting,365and Technical Assistance. Then she served as Vice President of366Corporate Affairs at Electric Power Research Institute. She was367the Director of Infrastructure Resilience at Edison Electric368Institute. Absolutely, she is so qualified, it is off the369chart. And I absolutely would tell us all that all these370nominees, I am very confident you are going to be confirmed.371That's all there is to it.372    But listen to me just this--you have a task that's in front373of you that is astronomically important. I have said it over374and over, and people were getting sick of listening to me say375this and everything, but energy is everything, guys. It's376everything. Right now, it is totally everything. It resolves377everything, whether it be inflation, national security, on and378on and on. We all know that every country in the world--every379single country in the world--the more energy they have, the380longer their people live and the healthier their people are. We381have got to stop this war--this war on energy--in every way. We382have to stop it. It was brought up by our Chairman--how do we383win? How do we win the war? Well, you stop the war. I mean,384that's what we have got to do. We have to stop the war and385realize just one thing, we are going to awaken to a crisis like386you can't imagine in this country and we better get ourselves387ready and get ourselves ready right now. We are going to lose388on a bunch of fronts if we are not ready.389    This lady is extremely, extremely qualified. And I,390absolutely, am right in her camp, wholeheartedly. So Mr.391Chairman, I will defer the rest of the time, and thank you,392Katie, thank you for being here.393    The Chairman. Thank you. Thank you, Senator Justice. It's394fantastic. I am sure you both have statues and plaques395commemorating your public service at your shared high school.396    We have also got a statement from Senator McCormick that,397without objection, will be admitted into the record in support398of Ms. Jereza.399    [The prepared statement of support for Ms. Jereza from400Senator McCormick follows:]401[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]402403The Chairman. Senator Hoeven, you are recognized.404405          INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN HOEVEN,406                 U.S. SENATOR FROM NORTH DAKOTA407408    Senator Hoeven. Thanks, Mr. Chairman, I appreciate it very409much, and Senator Justice, I was just wondering, like you said,410if you attended that school at about the same time, or maybe411you were a year or two ahead of her. Maybe you were a senior412when she was like a sophomore. Well, anyway, that's pretty413cool.414    Great to have all of you here. Mr. Chairman and Ranking415Member Heinrich, thanks for holding this very important416hearing, and it is a pleasure to introduce, this morning, Kyle417Haustveit to the Committee. Kyle is a fellow North Dakotan,418which you can kind of tell because he has that sharp, capable419look about him, and is the nominee for the Assistant Secretary420for Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy. I also would421like to welcome your wife--Brea, where are you? Okay, good. You422got his back, good girl--and four children. Now, I want to make423sure I get these right, so Kyle, you correct me if I am wrong.424Is it Navaeh? Navaeh. There you are. All right. Good to have425you here. Also, Harper, I am pretty sure I got that one right.426Hi, Harper, how are you? Noah. Oh yeah, I understand that427feeling. And Hudson, where is Hudson? Okay, all right. Boy,428they look awesome. And so cool to have them here.429    Born in Fargo and then raised in Tioga, which is out in the430heart of oil country. He has roots in both energy and431agriculture, our two biggest industries. He is a third-432generation energy worker. A petroleum engineer by training and433a real leader in terms of innovation. He co-invented and434patented a hydraulic fracturing technique--music to every North435Dakotan's ears, right? Hydraulic fracturing, we love that. And436that is used across other shale basins as well. He understands437that energy is foundational, as Senator Justice said so438eloquently, to really, everything--our economic security, our439national security, and many other things as well--our standard440of living, just every way you can think of, just like Senator441Justice says. He brings a tremendous amount of experience,442skilled to our nation's mission, which is energy dominance,443right? Not just energy secure, we want to be energy dominant,444and we are going to do it and ensure that Americans have access445to low-cost, dependable energy.446    Kyle, thanks for being here. Thanks for your willingness to447serve. We appreciate it.448    Thank you, Mr. Chair.449    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Hoeven. I am impressed450that you can tell by looking at someone that they are from your451state, which you have that sharp North Dakota----452    Senator Hoeven. Look at him. When I look in the mirror453every morning, that's what I see.454    [Laughter.]455    The Chairman. Fantastic. It's the cold, brisk air. What is456the coldest it got up there this winter?457    Senator Hoeven. I think about----458    The Chairman. Thirty below, yeah, that is rather459significant.460    Senator Hoeven. Thirty above is nice.461    The Chairman. Two degrees Kelvin.462    All right, now, as I turn to each witness, what we are463going to do is, we will have opening statements first from Mr.464Doffermyre, and then Ms. Jereza, and then Mr. Haustveit. Feel465free to introduce any family you have with you, and you may466begin.467468 STATEMENT OF WILLIAM DOFFERMYRE, NOMINATED TO BE SOLICITOR OF469                 THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR470471    Mr. Doffermyre. Chairman Lee, Ranking Member Heinrich, and472distinguished members of this Committee, it is an honor and473privilege to appear here today as President Trump's nominee to474serve as the Solicitor of the United States Department of the475Interior.476    Before I begin, I would like to recognize and introduce the477most important people in my life--my family. Here with me today478is my oldest son William, my daughter Perry, my daughter Wynne,479and my youngest son Hodges, who is celebrating his birthday480tomorrow. They are my best friends and biggest supporters. I481would also like to recognize my beautiful and wonderful wife,482Bessie Liedtke Doffermyre, the love of my life and the greatest483wife and mother imaginable. My sweet and always-supportive484sister Julia Green is here, along with the woman who brought me485into this world and raised me to be the person that I have486become--my mom, Mary Doffermyre. I love you, Mom. Finally, I487would like to recognize my late father, Everette ``Bubba''488Doffermyre, who I loved so very much, and who I trust is with489us in spirit here today.490    Thanks again to the members of this Committee for your warm491welcome to my family, and thanks to all of you for your service492and dedication to this country. My inspiration to serve my493country dates back many years ago when, completely out of the494blue, I was asked to serve in one of the single most important495positions at the White House. Thanks to my sweet wife, Bessie,496who was my girlfriend at the time and was working in the497visitors' office in the Bush administration, I was appointed to498serve as the Easter Bunny at the 2006 White House Easter Egg499Roll. And as you can imagine, it was really hard to see out of500that six-foot-tall bunny suit, and it was hot and uncomfortable501underneath all that fur, but I can assure you, that was a small502price to pay for literally being the most important figure at503the White House, even if it was just for an afternoon, and I504didn't even have to go through Senate confirmation. But in all505seriousness, I am truly honored and humbled by the opportunity506to serve as the Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, if507I am confirmed. Serving at the Department of the Interior would508be a dream job for me in many ways.509    My very first job out of college was as a whitewater510rafting guide in Teton National Park. I lived in a two-room log511cabin on the edge of the park, heated by nothing more than a512woodburning stove, with a majestic view of the Grand Teton out513my loft window, a view that I shared with a moose living in my514backyard. When I wasn't guiding on the river, I spent my free515time backpacking, fishing, and skiing on some of America's most516treasured public lands. If fortunate enough to be confirmed,517please know that this former Snake River rafting guide will518consider it an honor and privilege of a lifetime to serve as a519faithful steward for ``America's Best Idea,'' our National Park520system. It would also be an honor and privilege of a lifetime521to work with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service at the522Department of the Interior. I love to hunt, I am an avid fly523fisherman, I love to hike, I love nature, I love to explore,524and I especially love sharing these life-long passions with my525four children. I couldn't agree more with the great Teddy526Roosevelt, when he observed that very few responsibilities of527the Federal Government ``compare in importance with the great528central task of leaving this land even a better land for our529descendants than it is for us.''530    Yet, above all else, the Department of the Interior's531responsibility for managing our nation's vast energy resources532is what landed me in this seat here today. For the past five533years, I have had the privilege of working in Texas at one of534America's great energy companies, Energy Transfer. After535spending over a decade as a D.C. attorney at Williams and536Connolly, and then as General Counsel of an overseas537development agency in the first Trump administration, I decided538to move to Texas to work in the energy business, to work539alongside the patriotic Americans who actually design, build,540and operate the critical infrastructure that fuels our economy541and enables our way of life. I learned a tremendous amount542working in the energy business over the past five years. One543lesson I learned all too well is that the energy emergency our544nation currently faces is not due to a shortage of natural545resources. From my perspective, working in the private sector,546the primary contributor to this energy emergency is our547country's byzantine state and federal regulatory framework that548makes it far too easy to kill infrastructure projects with549endless litigation, and far too hard to actually get shovels in550the ground.551    If confirmed, I look forward to working with this Committee552to fix our broken permitting system, to help ensure that our553country has a transparent, predictable, and efficient554regulatory regime that not only permits but actually promotes555the responsible buildout of our nation's critical energy556infrastructure.557    I would like to conclude by giving all thanks and praise to558God, the Father, and his Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ, who559taught us all that ``to whom much is given, much is required.''560I feel so incredibly blessed to have been born a citizen of the561greatest country in the history of the world. This country has562given me and my family so much that we feel that it is563incumbent upon us to give back to our country in any way that564we can. If confirmed, I look forward to working with this565Committee to do just that.566    Chairman Lee, Ranking Member Heinrich, and members of the567Committee, thank you again for the opportunity to appear before568you here today. I look forward to your questions.569    [The prepared statement of Mr. Doffermyre follows:]570    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]571572    The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Doffermyre.573    Before we turn to Ms. Jereza, I just want to note, first of574all, the thought of the Easter Bunny. I am just imagining this575is how you won Bessie over.576    Mr. Doffermyre. Absolutely.577    The Chairman. High stakes gambit. One the one hand, it578could have ended in disaster, but if you pull it off, you would579have won her affection, which apparently happened.580    Number two, had I known about this, I would have insisted581that you wear the Easter Bunny costume to your hearing.582    [Laughter.]583    The Chairman. It would have been fun.584    Ms. Jereza.585586  STATEMENT OF CATHERINE JEREZA, NOMINATED TO BE AN ASSISTANT587               SECRETARY OF ENERGY (ELECTRICITY)588589    Ms. Jereza. Thank you, Chairman Lee, Ranking Member590Heinrich, and distinguished members of this Committee. It is a591true honor to be here, and I want to thank President Trump and592Energy Secretary Wright for the trust they have placed in me593with this nomination to serve as the Assistant Secretary of594Electricity at the U.S. Department of Energy. If I have the595honor of being confirmed, I look forward to working with all596the members of this Committee.597    I would like to take a moment to recognize those who are598very dear to me, especially those who have traveled to be here599and continue to support me during one of the most important600opportunities of my life. My husband Ken and stepdaughter Chloe601from Maryland, my sister Betty and her daughter Ella from602Virginia, my sister Tina and her son Brandon from West603Virginia, and many extended friends and colleagues. My parents604wish they could be here in person, but since my mom is605recovering from surgery, they are watching from their home in606Beckley, West Virgina. I also want to thank my very large and607extended family, who are watching from all over the country.608More importantly, I want to thank my parents and the leaders609who have come before me. My dad instilled the importance of610academics, religion, music, and sports, also known as ARMS,611which has armed me for how to live my life. My mother is a lot612like President Trump--a fighter. When times get tough, their613never-give-up attitude inspires me to keep going.614    I will never forget growing up under their guidance in a615place called ``Almost Heaven,'' West Virginia. When I was a616baby, my dad moved our family to Beckley to work as an internal617medicine doctor for the United Mine Workers of America.618Unbeknownst to me, my passion for math and science would619eventually lead me to get back to my roots to unleash baseload620power, including fossil fuels, advanced nuclear, geothermal,621and hydropower, that is so vital to the affordability,622reliability, and security of our nation's electricity system.623My whole life, I have honed my skills in multi-stakeholder624collaboration. Imagine growing up with seven siblings and625trying to get to an agreement on anything. Negotiating and626persuading such strong and divergent personalities to line up627and move forward is never easy. Now imagine doing that in628today's political environment. I believe collaboration is one629of my most important leadership skills that I can bring to the630U.S. Department of Energy and the many stakeholders that make631our North American electricity system work. Engineers help make632things work. That is why I chose to become an engineer--an633engineer who likes to pick the most difficult things to figure634out. I picked the French Horn because it is the most difficult635instrument to play. I picked chemical engineering because it is636the most difficult undergraduate degree to earn. And now, if637confirmed, I will tackle one of the most challenging problems638our nation has ever faced, helping add the baseload power639America needs to meet its energy demands today and in the640future.641    President Trump and Energy Secretary Wright have made their642agenda clear, and if confirmed, I will work every day to643advance U.S. leadership in innovation, reduce costs for644American families, and strengthen grid reliability and645security. I have a mindset for innovation. Starting with my646first job out of college, I implemented programs that increased647production and product quality. For 20 years, I have worked648with national laboratories and other premier research649institutions to drive innovation from concept to650commercialization and foster ingenuity to optimize technology651throughout its lifecycle. I am a systems thinker who652understands the promise and trade-offs of all energy653technologies under real-world conditions. If confirmed, I will654strive to bring common-sense, cost-effective solutions that655benefit all Americans.656    In President Trump's first term, I had the opportunity to657work in the Office of Electricity as Deputy Assistant Secretary658for Transmission Permitting and Technical Assistance. In that659role, I developed and still have extensive relationships and660understanding of the complex and often divergent perspectives661at the international, regional, state, and local levels. The662North American power grid is the biggest machine in the world663and has the biggest bureaucracy in the world to make it work.664If confirmed, I will work relentlessly to deliver on President665Trump's promise to cut red tape and expedite the development of666reliable energy infrastructure. I enjoyed meeting with many667members of the Committee, and I appreciate the perspective,668priorities, and insight that you have shared. If confirmed, I669will need your continued partnership to strengthen our grid. I670look forward to answering your questions and, if confirmed,671implementing the President's and Secretary's bold energy agenda672to unleash energy security and prosperity.673    Chairman Lee, Ranking Member Heinrich, thank you for the674opportunity to appear before the Committee today, and I look675forward to your questions.676    [The prepared statement of Ms. Jereza follows:]677    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]678679    The Chairman. Thank you. I had a few friends in college who680were chemical engineering majors, and I can vouch for the fact681that nobody worked harder. I was science too, just political682science. Apparently, it's not the same.683    Senator King. There is no science in politics, Mr.684Chairman.685    The Chairman. No science, exactly.686    We will hear now from Mr. Haustveit.687688   STATEMENT OF KYLE HAUSTVEIT, NOMINATED TO BE AN ASSISTANT689              SECRETARY OF ENERGY (FOSSIL ENERGY)690691    Mr. Haustveit. Chairman Lee, Ranking Member Heinrich, and692distinguished members of the Committee, thank you for the693opportunity to appear before you today. I am deeply honored to694be considered for the role of Assistant Secretary for Fossil695Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. I want to express my696sincere gratitude to President Trump for his nomination and to697Energy Secretary Wright for his support.698    I would also like to take a moment to thank my family and699friends here with me today and those watching online. Here with700me are my high school sweetheart and wife, Brea, our four701children, Nevaeh, Harper--Noah is sleeping there--and Hudson is702also sitting down next to my two parents, Tom and Donna. I have703also been joined by several close friends. Thank you all for704your support.705    I was born and raised in North Dakota, just a few miles706from the historic Williston Basin discovery well. My family's707roots run deep in both energy and agriculture. One grandfather708managed drilling operations, while the other farmed our family709homestead, where he and my grandma still live today. Growing710up, I developed a profound appreciation for both industries and711the critical role energy plays in modern agriculture, from712fueling tractors to providing the fertilizers that nourish our713crops. I am proud to say that I am a third-generation energy714worker. My family's connection to energy spans decades, and715their hard work instilled in me a deep respect for the industry716and its importance to our nation. With a small nudge from my717late grandfather, I pursued a degree in petroleum engineering718from Montana Tech, followed by an M.B.A. in energy from the719University of Oklahoma. This combination of engineering and720economic study has been instrumental in shaping my career and721preparing me to address the challenges and opportunities in the722energy sector.723    Early in my career, I was fortunate to lead a team that724invented and commercialized a diagnostic technique, now used725globally, to optimize hydraulic fracturing and resource726development. This experience sparked a growing passion for727energy and technology, which led me to lead an Energy Ventures728team. In this role, our team had the privilege of investing in729early-stage startups rooted in fundamental science, including a730leading next-generation geothermal company with operations in731Nevada and a 500-megawatt development underway in Utah. Our732team also conducted technical evaluations for innovative733projects, such as a direct lithium extraction from brine in734Arkansas and California, carbon capture utilization and735sequestration in Wyoming, and produced water treatment and736beneficial use in New Mexico. These experiences have given me a737front-row seat to the incredible innovation happening in the738energy industry across our resource-rich nation.739    I have been blessed to build my career during one of the740most transformative periods in energy history--the shale741revolution--a revolution brought about by industry and enabled742in part by fundamental research from our tremendous National743Laboratories. This technological breakthrough moved the U.S.744from the world's largest importer of liquefied natural gas to745the largest exporter, positioning us as a global leader in oil746and natural gas production, transforming us from energy747dependent to energy dominant. The energy industry has not only748powered our nation, but it has also fueled economic growth,749strengthened national security, and improved the quality of750life for millions of Americans and our allies around the world.751U.S. natural gas has delivered affordable, reliable, and secure752energy, while at the same time, reducing the emissions from753electricity generation by more than 40 percent.754    It has been a privilege to contribute to this progress, and755I am passionately aligned with President Trump's common-sense756energy agenda--an agenda that will ensure future generations757have access to affordable, reliable, secure, and abundant758energy made in America. If confirmed, I will honor the759fundamentals of science and economics to serve our country. I760am committed to advancing policies that unleash U.S. energy761dominance, foster innovation, and ensure that America remains a762global leader in energy production and technology. If763confirmed, I will work to leverage the incredible talents764within our DOE and our national labs to drive forward cutting-765edge research and development. Simply put, energy is the766backbone of our national security, our economy, and our way of767life.768    Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward769to your questions.770    [The prepared statement of Mr. Haustveit follows:]771    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]772773    The Chairman. Thanks so much, Mr. Haustveit.774    Okay, we are going to proceed now to five-minute rounds of775questions. Each Senator on the Committee here will have a turn.776We will go between Republicans and Democrats, alternating in777order of Committee seniority, as modified by the earlybird778rule, and I will begin that now.779    Mr. Doffermyre, why don't we start with you? As a lawyer,780you are aware of the fact that NEPA, the National Environmental781Policy Act, is a procedural statute. It doesn't require a782specific, foreordained, or substantive outcome. It rather783requires that agencies take a hard look at environmental784impacts. Recognizing that, and given the urgency that we face785in the energy space, the Department of the Interior recently786invoked some procedures to speed up the process. There are a787lot of countries that have emulated our NEPA law, and it has788worked well for them. A lot of them have been very good, at789this point, at making sure that process doesn't take longer790than necessary. And so, the plan, as I understand it, at the791Department of the Interior, would be to complete environmental792assessments within 14 days and environmental impact statements793within 28 days for energy projects.794    Now, do you believe these expedited timelines are795consistent with NEPA's requirements, and how do you plan to796help the Department meet those goals?797    Mr. Doffermyre. Thank you, Chairman Lee.798    As we discussed in your office, and I very much enjoyed my799time with you and your staff, I very much agree with President800Trump that our country does face an energy crisis. With801generative AI and data centers and advanced manufacturing, our802demand curve is going up exponentially, and meanwhile, we have803a permitting system that takes far too long to actually meet804the increase in demand that we are facing. When President Trump805first took office, on his first day, he signed a number of806executive orders relating to energy, and the ``Unleashing807American Energy'' executive order instructs all the agencies to808exercise all legal authorities they have to expedite this809permitting process.810    I am not at the Department of the Interior, and I have not811been involved with devising the emergency procedures, but, as812you said, I am familiar with NEPA, and it is a procedural813statute, and it does require a hard look. And I am looking814forward to working with the Department of the Interior to make815sure that we satisfy all the legal requirements during the time816period allotted in order to get energy projects moving and not817stuck in endless litigation.818    The Chairman. Thank you.819    Mr. Haustveit, I will go to you next. The U.S. Trade820Representative recently released a notice of potential action821in response to an investigation about Chinese maritime shipping822dominance. The action laid out in the fourth annex to that823document is likely, if implemented, to have a detrimental824effect on LNG exports. The action would require, as I825understand it, one percent of LNG export vessels to be U.S.-826flagged and U.S.-built by 2029, and then that percentage shifts827up gradually over time until it gets to 15 percent by 2047. But828the action would also allow USTR to suspend LNG export licenses829until the terms of the action are met. Now, this, in my mind,830raises considerable concerns and bears a striking, stunning831resemblance to the so-called Jones Act. Now, the Jones Act, of832course, applies with regard to shipments between U.S. ports--833one U.S. port to another one without an intervening stop in834another country requires them to be U.S.-built, crewed,835flagged, and so forth.836    In your opinion, does USTR have the authority and the837jurisdiction to suspend Department of Energy LNG export838licenses through a rulemaking procedure?839    Mr. Haustveit. Senator, thank you for the question.840    This is not an area of expertise, but I can say that LNG841has been a force of good for the world. It has been a boon for842the U.S. economy. It has delivered affordable, reliable energy843to our allies across the globe. So any type of rulemaking that844restricts our ability to deliver that incredible fuel to our845friends and allies across the globe is a negative for America,846a negative for allies, and we need to do everything we can to847avoid putting further restrictions on LNG exports.848    The Chairman. Thank you. I appreciate that. And if you are849confirmed, will you agree to work with me and my staff to850clarify and figure out this jurisdictional ambiguity between851whenever you are confirmed and prior to finalization of this852proposed, possible rulemaking?853    Mr. Haustveit. Absolutely, Senator.854    The Chairman. Okay, thank you. I appreciate that.855    Okay, my time is up. We are going to turn next to Senator856Heinrich, who will be asking questions. I have got to run to857the Foreign Relations Committee for a moment to cast a few858votes. Senator Hoeven has graciously agreed to take the gavel859while I am out, and I will be back in a few minutes.860    Senator Heinrich.861    Senator Heinrich. Thanks, Chairman.862    Mr. Doffermyre, the Office of the Solicitor is responsible863for making sure that the Department follows the law. However,864right now, the Department continues to violate court orders865with respect to frozen funds. And at some point, the excuse866that these funds are ``under review'' begins to not hold water.867If confirmed, will you ensure that appropriated funds are868obligated and disbursed in a timely manner, in accordance with869the law, and in accordance with the Impoundment Control Act?870    Mr. Doffermyre. Thank you, Senator Heinrich.871    I have not started working at the Department of the872Interior yet, so I am not familiar with what appropriated funds873have or have not been spent, but as the Solicitor, my job will874be to review the facts and review the law and provide my clear875advice on what the law requires. And the Impoundment Control876Act and other legal requirements say that Congress controls the877purse strings. And I will analyze them and give the advice that878if the law requires that the funds be obligated and spent, then879the funds will be obligated and spent.880    Senator Heinrich. Last month, a senior advisor to the881Secretary exercising the power of the Solicitor, outside of the882Vacancies Reform Act, reinstated a legal opinion that had been883vacated by a federal district court. The district court vacated884the prior Solicitor's opinion because the Solicitor had885misinterpreted the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Notably, the886Justice Department did not press an appeal to that court's887decision, yet the senior advisor's opinion purports to888reinstate the vacated opinion in 93 of the nation's 94 judicial889districts.890    So I am curious, do you believe that a solicitor, or even891an advisor exercising the solicitor's authority, can overrule892the decision of a federal district judge?893    Mr. Doffermyre. Thank you, Senator Heinrich.894    The short answer is no. I do not believe that the solicitor895can overrule a federal district judge. M-Opinions, what you are896referring to, is something that's unique to the Department of897the Interior, something that I have learned a little about, and898I look forward to learning a lot more about, but they are the899highest-level legal interpretation by the Solicitor and they900are binding--those opinions are binding on the Department of901the Interior. My past, as you heard, in addition to the Easter902Bunny and a raft guide and other things, I was a litigator for90312 years. I have since gone on to the private sector, but when904I first learned about the M-Opinions, and turned through a few905of them, I thought, wow, this is really going to hearken back906to my litigation days. They are very long, reasoned opinions.907They look a lot like court opinions, and I look forward to908exercising some of those skills that I learned in order to909analyze the law and the facts and provide opinions that are910sound and durable and will stand up in court.911    Senator Heinrich. I want to go back for just a minute to912something that the Chairman asked you about, which is complying913with NEPA with both environmental impact statements and914environmental assessments in these 14- and 28-day timelines.915And if you can do that, and meet all the requirements of the916law, I am all for it. I think what you have seen in this917Committee has been a bipartisan commitment to permitting918reform, to getting to yes or no faster for projects. However,919if you get to the end of 28 days and you haven't been able to920meet all the legal requirements for an EIS, if at that point921you publish an EIS that does not meet those requirements, it922creates litigation risk. That's the opposite of shovels in the923ground.924    So talk to me about how you are going to balance that. If925you can get to a high-quality legal product that does not926create litigation risk for the proponents in 28 days, I am all927for that, but if you haven't checked all those boxes at the end928of 28 days, are you going to continue forward and make sure929that those products actually will withstand legal challenge?930    Mr. Doffermyre. Yes, thank you, that's a great question,931and I do want to first say thank you very much to you and the932members of this Committee for the work that you have done on933permitting reform. The Fiscal Responsibility Act, with the time934limits for NEPA, as well as the work for the permitting reform935bill that didn't quite pass last year, were both very, very936welcome news to the industry. When it comes to----937    Senator Heinrich. We can still pass that law. I would just938mention to all my colleagues, I think that would be a good939idea.940    Mr. Doffermyre. But the short answer to your question is,941well, I don't know if there is a short answer. What I will say942is, it would do no good and would be counterproductive to943publish a final EIS in a record of decision that did not entail944the necessary hard look in what is required by the statute. You945can get a permit in 28 days, but if two years' worth of946litigation results in a remand, that's going to require six947months of new analysis. That's not doing anyone any good,948that's not getting shovels in the ground. So we are completely949aligned on that, Senator Heinrich. Thank you.950    Senator Heinrich. Thank you. I appreciate it.951    Senator Hoeven.952    Senator Hoeven [presiding]. Thank you, Ranking Member953Heinrich.954    Senator Justice.955    Senator Justice. Well, before I get started, and I am going956to be really short and sweet, I have to tell you a little957story, and this is--this centers around Senator Hoeven. But the958story is just this: a long time ago, my dad was sitting at a959pool bar in the pool with Lawson Hamilton, and Dad had been960working really, really hard on trying to come up with the keys961to Emerald City in regard to how a highwall miner worked. And962he was trying to basically go in to the high wall with a round963hole and come back with a square hole. And he looked in the964bottom of the pool, and there was this circle with this square965around it. And he said, ``there it is, Lawson, right there.966Right there it is, Lawson.'' And Mr. Hamilton was telling me967this story, and he kept looking back at me and saying, I didn't968know what to say to your dad. I thought, you know possibly,969your dad had lost his mind because he kept saying, ``there it970is, Lawson, right there, right there it is.''971    Well, I was struggling with this striking resemblance972between Mr. Haustveit and our Senator Hoeven.973    [Laughter.]974    Senator Justice. But I got it now. I got it and I get it975and everything. The resemblance is, without question, there,976and everything, and the youth, the passion, the wisdom,977absolutely, I have got it. And so, it took me a little while to978see the circle in the square, but I have got it now.979    Listen----980    Senator Hoeven. Senator, that's why everybody likes you. I981am telling you right now.982    Senator Justice. But I would tell you just this--I can ask983you questions, and they may sound important. We are really984blessed--really, really blessed to have three nominees like985these. I mean, that's all there is to it. And so, I986congratulate you in every way. I have looked at the questions987and thought about it and everything, and thought I am988absolutely just going to waste your time and maybe mine too. I989congratulate you, and we have got to have these nominees.990That's all there is to it. You will do amazing work, I know you991will.992    I can feel it in my heart, and I really listen to my heart,993maybe more than my mind a lot of times. But I think you will be994fantastic beyond belief. The only other thing I can say is just995this--I go back and I just think just a second about my dad and996really how hard that he tried, and we started with nothing, and997I mean nothing. And how proud he would be of all of you all.998You are young, and go to work and make us proud.999    That's all I've got. God bless you. I am deferring the rest1000of my time. Thank you.1001    Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Senator Justice.1002    Senator Hickenlooper.1003    Senator Hickenlooper. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thanks to1004all of you for all the work you have done and for being willing1005to put yourselves out and commit yourselves to public service1006for who knows how long.1007    I have a question for Ms. Jereza. The mission of the Office1008of Electricity is to lead research and development to1009strengthen and modernize the nation's power grid, which, lord1010knows, needs a lot of help right now. And yet, DOE has lost1011more than 4,000 staff members this year so far, including over101270 percent of the people in the Grid Deployment Office,1013national laboratories working to advance research in grid1014modernization, and they've begun layoffs. NREL in Colorado1015recently laid off 114 people. It seems to put our energy goals1016at risk. I just wanted to ask--as we try to upgrade our grid to1017prevent blackouts, to meet this rising energy demand, and1018oftentimes, we are going to need energy in places where we1019didn't need it before, especially as AI really takes off, we1020are losing the expert staff at DOE and at our national labs--1021how are we going to respond to that? You are going to come into1022a situation where you are probably not going to have--when you1023say all hands on deck, there's not going to be a crowd.1024    Ms. Jereza. Thank you, Senator, for the question. I really1025appreciate it, and one of the reasons that I love working at1026the Department of Energy is the opportunity to work with some1027of the brightest minds, who have such a commitment and1028dedication to their mission, and they work tirelessly for that.1029If confirmed, my mission space will be with the Office of1030Electricity, and the Grid Deployment Office is currently a1031separate area, but I would, when I think about the resources,1032if confirmed, I will make every effort to work with you and1033assess the situation to ensure that we have the staffing and1034the resources that we need to ensure that we are able to1035continue to meet our very, very important mission.1036    Senator Hickenlooper. Great, and I noticed that when Chris1037Wright came in, his first secretarial order was an imperative,1038as we consider current and anticipated low growth on our1039nation's electric utilities. And I think that's what--you are1040going to be very busy.1041    Ms. Jereza. No doubt.1042    Senator Hickenlooper. Mr. Haustveit, I saw you spent--is it1043your whole professional career with Devon?1044    Mr. Haustveit. Yes, Senator.1045    Senator Hickenlooper. It's either a curse or very1046fortunate. I know Devon somewhat----1047    Mr. Haustveit. I think it's the latter.1048    Senator Hickenlooper. Yes, I know. I wouldn't argue there.1049    Colorado has a proud history. We were the first government1050entity of any kind to regulate methane--to recognize the1051negative effects of it and to recognize that you can, by1052regulating it, you can actually allow it to be captured and1053used as a form of energy instead of having it working against1054us, against the climate. A number of Colorado companies and1055universities have continued to try to focus on how do we make1056that next step in methane, and be able to measure more clearly,1057and other aspects of methane emissions for the benefit both of1058industry and climate.1059    If you are confirmed, are you willing to really push and1060continue that methane reduction research that has been taking1061place at a variety of places within the Fossil Energy Office?1062    Mr. Haustveit. Senator, thank you for the question.1063    METEC, one of your state's most well-known labs in this1064area of study, is a lab that we work with at my current1065employer. As you know, methane is a very difficult gas to1066measure. We are actively working to develop technologies,1067including low earth orbit satellites, drones, continuous1068monitoring. Our company has a test site in Oklahoma that we1069invite people to visit freely, where we can test these1070different methane monitoring systems so we can find the best1071solution. Not only is it the right thing to do for the1072environment, it's the right thing to do for our economics. We1073spend millions of dollars to drill and complete these wells in1074order to produce the valuable products--oil and natural gas. We1075want to do our best to capture it and put it to good use to1076supply the energy that America needs. I will absolutely commit1077to continue to work to find ways to take care of our nation's1078natural resources.1079    Senator Hickenlooper. Right, and I think that it's1080important to continue to recognize that we can have a strong1081economy and address climate change at the same time. There is1082an alignment of self-interest there for all of us.1083    I am just about out of time. Ms. Jereza, I did want to--we1084talked a little bit about the power grid and how we are going1085to need to get energy from places where we don't generate it to1086places where we now are going to need it, but part of that--we1087lost some of the research around that, and we were looking at1088ways, before, to strengthen and modernize our grid. Past1089research has shown that increasing the flows of electricity1090across multiple regions can make our grid more reliable,1091electricity more affordable, but some of those research1092findings have been suppressed in various ways. I am sure you1093are aware of some of that.1094    Obviously, you are committed to scientific inquiry and the1095integrity of science. I respect that. Will you make sure that1096we get the research published in a timely manner, no matter1097which direction it points us?1098    Ms. Jereza. Senator, I very much appreciate what you are1099saying. Starting with my college years, I got very rigorous1100review, and I have learned from that and I offer that to others1101when I look at their reports so that they will resonate and1102that they will be useful. And so, it is important that, at the1103pace that we need to go, that yes, I will--if confirmed--I will1104work to help to expedite the analysis so that it gets into the1105hands of those who need it.1106    Senator Hickenlooper. Great. I am out of time, but1107appreciate all of your time being here and I will have other1108questions I will pepper you with in written form in the future.1109    Senator Hoeven. Thank you, Senator Hickenlooper.1110    Mr. Haustveit, you are very familiar with the Bakken, and1111so, do you know that even before it was commercially viable to1112produce the Bakken, it was technologically viable? And so, the1113challenge we had--I was Governor back at that time--and1114starting in 2000, is we were drilling the vertical wells, which1115you are very familiar with, but the economics were such that1116all the companies were leaving. There were other places where1117they could go, and frankly, do better. We started to work on1118the shale play, and eventually, of course, cracked the code and1119went from just being technologically viable to commercially1120viable.1121    So talk to me in terms of carbon capture, because the same1122thing applies. Now, you are very familiar with the Energy and1123Environmental Research Center at the University of North1124Dakota. My first question is, are you committed to continuing1125the PCOR partnership that they have with the Department of1126Fossil Energy at DOE?1127    Mr. Haustveit. Senator, thank you for the question. Thank1128you for the time earlier this week. I am very familiar with the1129EERC. It's a team of very talented scientists, geologists. I1130don't know the details of the agreement that's currently in1131hand at DOE. If confirmed, I do commit to reviewing that1132contract, understanding the benefits to the DOE and to the1133nation.1134    Senator Hoeven. Okay, but that's part of the work that is1135going to--and EERC is a great example of the type of entity1136that you need to work with, along with private enterprise, to1137crack the code here. You need to crack the code in terms of1138getting carbon capture commercially viable. How are you going1139to do it?1140    Mr. Haustveit. Senator, thank you for the question.1141    Working with the brightest minds in the country is one way.1142We need to drive the cost down, just like we did with the shale1143revolution. In order to make anything compete for capital, it1144needs to generate a return that attracts investment. We need to1145find ways, not only to capture CO2, we need to use1146the CO2. Most of our unconventional revolution1147resources are maturing, and we are leaving 90 percent of the1148oil in the ground. We have 90 percent of the oil that we need1149to go get, and CO2 is an incredible resource to do1150that. It has the right physical properties that it will be easy1151to inject. It will mix with the oil at lower pressures and will1152allow us to go recover the remaining resource below our feet,1153below wells that have already been drilled, on locations that1154have already been built, with infrastructure already in place.1155    So we need to be thinking about how to use this resource to1156go recover more affordable, reliable energy.1157    Senator Hoeven. Right, it's a huge two-fer, right? You not1158only pull the CO2 off the coal plants, so now you1159have longevity with baseload, but now you also have that1160CO2 for carbon floods, which doubles the life of1161these oil fields, right? That's energy and more energy, right?1162And better environmental stewardship.1163    Mr. Haustveit. Senator, we need to get more oil out of the1164ground, and CO2 is a fantastic resource to do that.1165    Senator Hoeven. Right. And we have this time now to do it1166with an administration that understands how to produce all of1167our energy resources. So we need to get this done for our1168future so we have this resource for future generations. Would1169you agree?1170    Mr. Haustveit. We need this resource for many generations.1171Hydrocarbons make up more than 80 percent of our primary1172energy, and we need more of it for many, many decades.1173    Senator Hoeven. Thank you.1174    And so, then, I am going to turn to Ms. Jereza. Going down1175the same line, we have--we need more electricity. All these1176smart guys want it for AI and all these different uses, right?1177They always want more and more and more electricity, yet at the1178same time, we face all these pressures that actually constrain1179our ability to produce that baseload electricity. And so, coal-1180fired electricity is incredibly important for the stability of1181the grid and having that baseload. How are you going to work1182with your colleague next to you there and make sure that we1183have these coal plants around for a long, long time--future1184generations--so that they can provide you that baseload you1185need for a reliable electric grid?1186    Ms. Jereza. Thank you, Senator, for that----1187    Senator Hoeven. I am counting on you two to get this done1188now, so.1189    Ms. Jereza. Well, it's a daunting task, but we work for1190President Trump, and I think that he would only trust folks who1191are movers and shakers and want to get things done. And so, I1192will, if confirmed, it also will involve not just the two of us1193working together, but working with our federal families and1194also, the grid, in itself, has many, many stakeholders working1195with the states and the local people to get it done. And so,1196the collaboration that I talked about before, we will have1197early conversations and ongoing engagement to ensure that what1198we are doing is in the best interest of our taxpayers and can1199benefit all Americans with affordable, secure, reliable energy.1200    Senator Hoeven. Do you agree we need that baseload?1201    Ms. Jereza. Oh, absolutely. In fact, that is--we are in a1202situation today--thank you for reminding me about that.1203Baseload is so important for stabilizing our grid. It allows1204more buffer in the system to accommodate the different shapes1205that are happening. You were talking about the AI and data1206centers. We know that they are not only going to have huge1207demand, but they are also going to have interesting shapes that1208the grid is going to have to respond to, and baseload will1209certainly help to support that.1210    Senator Hoeven. So, Mr. Doffermyre, and then you have got1211the key role to play, in that, you know, delays defeat. You1212started out talking about your job in terms of guiding1213whitewater rafting and hunting and fishing. I mean, I about1214cried it sounded so good. I mean, I love to hunt, love to fish,1215love the outdoors, and I could just see the serene look on your1216face while you were talking about it. That's really awesome1217stuff. So we love the environment and we want to always protect1218it and all that, but at the same time, we have to develop this1219energy. And so, we have to have a permitting process that1220works, that's certain, that we get the investment made. We do1221it right and well, but we get it done, right?1222    Mr. Doffermyre. Amen.1223    Senator Hoeven. Talk about that. How are you going to work1224with these two next to you to make sure we have energy from1225these sources, that we can't get to energy dominance without1226the things we are talking about. How do you see us moving1227forward to get that done?1228    Mr. Doffermyre. Thank you so much, Senator Hoeven, for the1229question, and thank you for all of the work that you have done,1230or that I witness. I was not involved with the Dakota Access1231Pipeline, but I was familiar with it, and I know that you were1232very helpful, and that's a perfect example.1233    Senator Hoeven. Well, the whole country was familiar with1234it.1235    Mr. Doffermyre. Yeah, it's a perfect example of a broken1236regulatory system----1237    Senator Hoeven. Exactly.1238    Mr. Doffermyre. One President says you got the permit----1239    Senator Hoeven. It has been operating for almost, I don't1240know, well over five years now, 500,000-plus barrels a day, and1241it still doesn't have the final regulatory approval.1242    Mr. Doffermyre. Right.1243    Senator Hoeven. Think about that.1244    Mr. Doffermyre. Yeah, and it's granted the right-of-way,1245and then it's revoked, and then it's granted again and it's1246revoked. If we continue along that line, if we continue to have1247a permitting system that operates like that, the capital will1248dry up, the investment in these types of infrastructure1249projects will not be there, and we will not be able to meet the1250growing demand, and ultimately, heaven forbid, we will lose the1251AI arms race to China. So I think permitting is absolutely1252critical to our energy security, and I think we all agree that1253our energy security is critical to our national security.1254    Senator Hoeven. Thank you to all three of you. I appreciate1255it.1256    Senator Cortez Masto.1257    Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you. Congratulations, and1258welcome to all of your family members who are here as well. I1259appreciate your willingness to serve.1260    Let me start with Mr. Doffermyre. I don't really have1261questions for you, but I will do it on the record, but I have1262to say, I am just--I appreciate your candor and your respect1263for the law and the rule of law and what it means. That is very1264rare in this day with individuals coming before us. So I thank1265you. I thank you for your comments on that.1266    Let me start with Ms. Jereza as well as Mr. Haustveit. The1267Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping Nevada become a1268national leader for battery manufacturing and recycling. We1269also hold the capacity to support the entire supply chain in my1270home state. For example, Nevada has enough lithium to supply1271the world for 85 years. I know you are aware of that. However,1272it is unfortunate that President Trump's FY26 budget calls for1273the cancellation of over $15 billion from the Bipartisan1274Infrastructure Law, and he specifically, in that fiscal year1275budget, targets battery manufacturers, and calls these funds1276handouts. Now, as lithium-ion batteries and related1277technologies continue to be used by our military and clean1278energy applications, I believe we should be making them here to1279cut our reliance on Communist China and not dismantle enacted1280DOE programs that strengthen our global competitiveness, quite1281honestly.1282    So, if confirmed, let me ask you what your positions would1283be on the dismantling of those programs that support the1284research into and the support for battery manufacturing. And1285Ms. Jereza, let me start with you.1286    Ms. Jereza. Sure, thank you for the question, Senator.1287    It is, in this race, very important that we continue to1288have the innovation that is so necessary to deploy the new1289technologies that we need. And just for clarification, the1290Office of Electricity has energy storage research in its1291budget, and it is not IIJA-related, and so, I expect that, if1292confirmed, that that research will continue. And what is really1293interesting, even though I haven't been directly involved in1294that research, there is a cluster effort at the Pacific1295Northwest National Lab where it looks at working with the1296Office of Science and basically going from atoms to systems to1297make sure that concept-to-commercialization is happening. And1298so, I am excited to see, when we are competing with China, that1299we come up with non-lithium solutions, and America is poised to1300be able to take advantage of that. And if confirmed, I look1301forward to working with you and with the others around me to1302ensure that we do that.1303    Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you.1304    Mr. Haustveit.1305    Mr. Haustveit. Senator, thank you for the question. Your1306State of Nevada is blessed with great resource, both hardrock,1307clay, and brine, and it has been incredible to watch the rapid1308technological development of new techniques, including direct1309lithium extraction. I am not yet in the office, so I don't know1310exactly what is being dismantled and what is being proposed,1311but I am fully aligned that we need to take out of the hands of1312Communist China 90-plus percent of the manufacturing of battery1313technology and onshore and bring manufacturing back to the U.S.1314We have the resource. We have the talent.1315    Senator Cortez Masto. I agree, and let me just say, and I1316appreciate some of your written testimony earlier and even your1317comments about the importance of lithium extraction and mining1318and its role in the future of technology and that this country1319should be leading, believing in public-private partnership. Why1320would we be doing that extraction if we are not bringing the1321manufacturing back here that utilizes that technology,1322particularly around battery and battery storage as well. So I1323appreciate those comments.1324    Let me jump back to something that has come to my1325attention, and Ms. Jereza, if you would, if you can comment on1326this. In 2022, Congress appropriated $1 billion to the1327Department of Energy for resilient energy infrastructure in1328Puerto Rico. And this past December, the Department announced1329$365 million in awards for energy supply projects at community1330health care centers. In March, the Department wrote a letter1331specifying requirements to advance these projects, but their1332future now appears to be at risk.1333    So my question to you is, can I count on you to implement1334these projects that will provide life-sustaining electricity to1335medically vulnerable Puerto Rican Americans?1336    Ms. Jereza. Thank you, Senator, for the question.1337    The Puerto Rico efforts are led by the Grid Deployment1338Office, and so, I think that they are the ones who are leading1339the efforts and the review efforts as well. And if confirmed,1340what I will do is, I will assess those projects and look at how1341does this impact not just those that are in need, but also the1342entire grid. Secretary Wright and President Trump have made it1343clear that we need to look at what we can do to improve the1344security----1345    Senator Cortez Masto. So let me just ask you this, because1346this was appropriated by Congress. This goes back to the rule1347of law. This was appropriated by Congress for a specific1348reason. So how does the administration have the authority now1349to redirect those funds when that really wasn't within their1350jurisdiction? That is my concern. And I am hoping that you are1351going to be, when you get in this position, following the rule1352of law and respecting the role of Congress and our1353appropriation authority and where we direct these funds.1354    Ms. Jereza. Senator, I very much appreciate the rule of1355law, and if confirmed, I will comply with the law and we will1356work--I look forward to looking into this to assess the1357situation.1358    Senator Cortez Masto. Thank you.1359    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.1360    Senator Hoeven. Senator King.1361    Senator King. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.1362    Mr. Doffermyre, I was fascinated by your exchanges with1363Senator Hoeven at the end of his questioning about the1364restricting and changing permits in midstream. How do you feel1365about the fact that two weeks ago the Department of the1366Interior canceled the permits for Empire Wind, which took seven1367years, cost $2.5 billion. They had fully completed permits,1368including a lease from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management1369from 2017? How do you feel about that?1370    Mr. Doffermyre. Thank you, Senator King.1371    Senator King. Is it okay to pull that permit, but not a1372permit for a pipeline?1373    Mr. Doffermyre. No, and I will address your question1374directly. I did want to just say, because you were not here at1375the introduction, my wife and I, during our first year of1376marriage, lived in Maine, and I believe you were the Governor1377at the time, and we absolutely loved it.1378    Senator King. Referred to as the Golden Age.1379    Mr. Doffermyre. It was the Golden Age.1380    [Laughter.]1381    Mr. Doffermyre. It was a honeymoon--a year-long honeymoon.1382It couldn't have been any better.1383    I am not familiar with the wind project, permit, or1384licensing issue that you are describing. I will say, from my1385standpoint, especially in the private sector, I think the1386reliance interest of business, the predictability of these1387permits is something that's very important. I don't know what1388would have caused this administration to review a permit the1389way that you described.1390    Senator King. It was fully--it was completed, issued, final1391record of decision, everything was done. They were ready to--I1392think they were actually beginning construction.1393    Mr. Doffermyre. Okay.1394    Senator King. In construction, that was stopped, so, I wish1395you would look into that. As a person who has been in the1396development business, this is the worst nightmare.1397    Mr. Doffermyre. Yes.1398    Senator King. To go through the process and spend, in my1399case, millions of dollars, in this case, several billion1400dollars on permitting and have a permit pulled after it's1401issued. That's not a good signal to industry, as I think you1402will agree.1403    Mr. Doffermyre. Yes, I do agree. As the solicitor, I won't1404be as much of a policymaker as I will be an advisor, but to the1405extent that, where the lines blur, you are going to have a1406strong voice in the room in favor of reliability and1407predictability and durability of these permits, and that the1408private sector needs to be able to rely on this in order to1409attract the capital to build the infrastructure that we need.1410    Senator King. Completely agree. And I hope that strong1411voice will be heard.1412    Fourteen days, 28 days for an environmental impact1413statement, that's impossible. That is the ``lawyers' and1414accountants' relief act of 2025,'' because that decision will1415inevitably, as you point out yourself, be appealed, go into1416litigation, which will take a year or two, come back to the1417agency. I am completely committed. I joined the Chair (Senator1418Manchin) and Senator Barrasso on permitting reform and time1419limits, absolutely, but setting time limits that are so1420unrealistic as to guarantee litigation, it seems to me, is not1421a productive use of the rulemaking power.1422    You have been in this business. Twenty-eight days for an1423environmental impact statement? That's not serious.1424    Mr. Doffermyre. Well, I share Senator Heinrich's view that1425if we are able to comply with the statute within 28 days, then1426I will applaud the entire----1427    Senator King. And if I can walk across the Potomac River,1428that will be good, too.1429    Mr. Doffermyre. Well, it doesn't seem----1430    Senator King. Although, the press would say, ``King unable1431to swim'' if I did that.1432    [Laughter.]1433    Mr. Doffermyre. Right, right.1434    I am not sure I would agree that it's impossible, it1435doesn't defy the laws of physics. My view is that it's a very1436ambitious timeline. I have not been involved in developing that1437timeline, but I am very much committed to expediting these1438permitting timelines as much as we possibly can.1439    Senator King. We all committed to that. I just don't want1440unrealistic goals that end up lengthening the timeline.1441    Ms. Jereza, are you aware what the cheapest electricity1442produced in America today is?1443    Ms. Jereza. The cheapest?1444    Senator King. The cheapest source of electricity in America1445today?1446    Ms. Jereza. So when it comes to the cost----1447    Senator King. The fact that I am asking it as a question1448should give you a hint.1449    Ms. Jereza. Would it be Maine?1450    Senator King. It's solar and wind, the cheapest form of1451electricity today.1452    And would you also agree that renewables plus storage1453equals baseload?1454    Ms. Jereza. Senator, thank you for asking about the costs1455of electricity. It's a complicated question, and there are many1456drivers----1457    Senator King. No, it isn't complicated. It's how much--what1458the busbar cost is of various forms of electricity. There are1459reports. I get a report every week on what the cost of1460electricity is from various sources. Wind and solar are1461consistently the lowest.1462    Ms. Jereza. So, at the Office of Electricity, we look at1463systems, and so, as an engineer, that's what we look at. We1464look at integrated systems planning, not just resource1465planning. And so, every resource has a certain value that they1466can provide to the grid, and sometimes there are system costs1467and there are different values that compared from firm baseload1468to solar and wind that you need to make some accommodation for1469the intermittency that you have.1470    Senator King. And I agree with that. I totally agree with1471that, and right now, battery storage is more expensive, and1472therefore makes the net cost higher. I understand that. On the1473other hand, I think the important thing is, there have been1474gigantic steps in battery technology just in the last five1475years. And the point is, wind and solar are intermittent, but1476when you have storage, whether it's battery or pumped storage,1477or whatever else, that's the same as baseload because the1478intermittency problem goes away. Correct?1479    Ms. Jereza. Senator, when we think about the cost of1480electricity, it's going to depend on the geography, like where1481you are located and how does that resource behave there, and1482it's also going to depend on the load and how that behaves with1483that. And so, it's really going to depend on where you are in1484the system. And what we are finding is----1485    Senator King. Of course, windy places have more wind power1486and it's a higher capacity factor, I get that. But still, I1487will share the data with you. It's pretty clear. Natural gas1488combined cycle is a little bit higher. Wind and solar are the1489cheapest. Nuclear is more expensive. Coal is very expensive.1490So, and I understand, you have got to talk about storage, too.1491But the point I want to make is, all of the above means all of1492the above. And it worries me that we are talking strictly about1493fossil fuel development and not the technologies that will1494enable us to have a cleaner energy future. Storage is part of1495it. Solar and wind have already--the price has already dropped1496so dramatically.1497    One other point, and I am way over time, is about grid-1498enhancing technologies when you are talking about transmission.1499I hope that's something you will look seriously at so that we1500are not just over-building, and we should take advantage of1501technologies like reconductoring and the so called GETs. Do you1502agree that that's something that should be seriously looked at1503as we are talking about transmission enhancements?1504    Ms. Jereza. Senator, the GETs are very important because if1505we are going to get much more energy out of the system, we need1506to not just have energy addition, but we can also get more out1507of the system, and so, GETs would offer that.1508    Senator King. Which will save us huge costs in transmission1509development, and that, I think, is something that should be1510looked at first before we talk about new rights-of-way, poles,1511et cetera.1512    Ms. Jereza. Senator, I think that we have to look at1513everything--all the options that are available because the1514demand is increasing by so much that we are going to have to1515look at every option that's on the table and what is1516commercially ready, what is most viable over the long term. And1517so, if confirmed, the Office of Electricity will be looking1518at--I will be working in that research area for advancing1519conductors, power electronics, microgrids, and various areas to1520advance the state of the technology.1521    Senator King. Thank you.1522    Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the indulgence.1523    The Chairman [presiding]. Senator Murkowski.1524    Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.1525    And I apologize that I have missed most of your testimony.1526My commitment to you is, I am going back to read it all. Some1527very quick questions today as we are running between different1528committees.1529    First, to Mr. Haustveit--carbon capture. We have some key1530projects that we are anticipating as we are looking to process1531North Slope natural gas. This is central to the viability of1532our Alaska LNG project. DOE has already been awarded funding1533for two CCS initiatives. One is ASRC's CarbonSAFE Hub, and then1534a direct air capture feasibility study. Both of these are in1535limbo right now. We are concerned that they may be on a DOE1536list of cuts going to the White House. It is something, again,1537that we have been working on with industry in a very1538collaborative way, working with the agencies, and we look at1539this piece as, really, very strategic for the energy initiative1540that we have up there.1541    I know you are not in yet, but I am just asking for your1542commitment to look critically at this, to have the ability to1543defend these Alaska-based projects, given their strategic1544energy importance.1545    Mr. Haustveit. Senator, thank you for the question. As you1546stated, I am not in, so I don't know the details, but I do1547commit to looking at projects that are part of the Department.1548Carbon capture, especially for use for extracting additional1549hydrocarbons, is something that I am passionate about. Prudhoe1550Bay benefited greatly because you didn't have a place to put1551the gas for a long time, and you reinjected it.1552    Senator Murkowski. Still doing that.1553    Mr. Haustveit. Resulted in higher recovery.1554    Senator Murkowski. Yes.1555    Mr. Haustveit. My home state of the Bakken is recovering1556somewhere between 10 and 15 percent of the oil in place, and1557CO2 is a potential solution to inject into the1558reservoir to recover more oil. We have got tremendous resource1559in our country. Alaska is blessed greatly with resources across1560the entire state. And CO2, if available at1561affordable levels, can be a great injectant, can be a great1562solution to recover more of that resource.1563    Senator Murkowski. Well, we look forward to sharing more of1564the details about these projects and the opportunity to show1565you firsthand.1566    Mr. Haustveit. Thank you, Senator.1567    Senator Murkowski. Let me turn to you, Ms. Jereza. As you1568know, the map shows we are not connected by geography to the1569Lower 48, and our grid is not part of a continental grid. And1570so, we have some unique reliability and affordability1571challenges. Our grid is what we call the ``Railbelt.'' So it1572goes up as far as the railroad, and then it kind of comes back1573down the other way. But we have aging infrastructure--aging1574transmission infrastructure that we are dealing with. We have1575limited redundancy. We have high costs to our ratepayers.1576    So I need you, and again, same point that I just made1577previously, I understand you are not there, but we have a grid1578modernization effort that is underway--significant grant1579funding that came a couple of years ago to help us with this1580integration of this transmission grid to boost it up to allow1581it to take us at least forward for the next decade or so. So I1582just need your commitment to look critically at what our needs1583are in Alaska, again, when we are not part of anybody else's1584interrelated grid.1585    Ms. Jereza. Senator, it would be my pleasure to do that. I1586actually was fortunate enough to go to Cordova and see the1587great innovations that are happening at Cordova Electric.1588    Senator Murkowski. Super-cool stuff.1589    Ms. Jereza. So I can't wait to go back.1590    Senator Murkowski. Yeah, good.1591    Ms. Jereza. If confirmed.1592    Senator Murkowski. Well, you will have that invitation.1593    And finally, Mr. Doffermyre, I know you have got a little1594bit of a connection to Alaska through some of your law school1595buddies who are very focused on Alaska--Kaleb Froehlich, who is1596around here. He speaks highly of you, by the way. We saw, in1597the last administration, just a torrent of decisions and1598regulations from Interior that were absolutely contrary to what1599we passed into law here in Congress. It was pretty tough. And1600this was on our petroleum reserve. It was on the non-wilderness1601portion of the coastal plain. It was on the Ambler Access1602Project. Our public land orders, we have a whole list of them.1603    I just need your commitment--and I hope that this is the1604easiest question that you will ever get--your commitment to1605ensure that Interior returns to following the law--the law as1606it is written, if you are confirmed as Solicitor.1607    Mr. Doffermyre. Yes, ma'am.1608    Senator Murkowski. See how easy that was?1609    Mr. Doffermyre. Easy enough.1610    Senator Murkowski. I appreciate that because we feel like1611we are pretty clear here in our policies, and then, when it's1612not followed through on the other end, great frustration. So I1613look forward to seeing you keep that commitment.1614    Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I appreciate the opportunity1615to blast in at the very end. Thank you.1616    The Chairman. Thank you.1617    I want to thank our witnesses for their testimony today and1618all the Senators for their cooperation. I want to thank Senator1619Hoeven and his team for filling in when I had to step down to1620another committee.1621    Questions for the record for the hearing will be due by16226:00 p.m. this evening. The record of the hearing will remain1623open for statements until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, one1624week from today.1625    Thanks again to the members of the Committee. On behalf of1626the Committee, I am pleased to extend congratulations to all1627three of these nominees and look forward to working with each1628one as we progress to the floor, and should you be confirmed,1629thereafter.1630    I also look forward to working with all the Senators on the1631Committee as we continue to consider each of the President's1632nominees within the jurisdiction of this Committee in a timely1633manner.1634    And I hope everybody on the Committee will keep working1635with me to help persuade leadership on both sides of the aisle1636to bring these nominees to the floor and have them considered1637on the floor as soon as possible.1638    The hearing is adjourned. Thank you.1639    [Whereupon, at 11:11 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]16401641                      APPENDIX MATERIAL SUBMITTED16421643                              ----------16441645[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]16461647                                 [all]