Letter to Federal Delegation on Energy Crisis

Senators Shaheen, Hassan, and Congresswoman Kuster,

I am reaching out in advocacy of our shared constituents who will be facing the upcoming home heating crisis here in New Hampshire. While we have passed legislation in New Hampshire to deliver direct relief to our constituents in need and the Federal Government has increased assistance programs to combat the impact of inflation and higher energy costs, I have no doubt that we can agree more can and must be done to support Granite Staters before this crisis forces families and our senior citizens from having to choose between heating their homes, apartments, and dwellings in these coming months.

While I pledge to work with my House colleagues to further help Granite Staters in their time of need, I implore you all to work with both parties in your respective legislative bodies. Meaningful, bipartisan solutions can be found swiftly in the new Congress that puts Granite Staters and the American people first.

Our goal must be bipartisan and it must be effective to ensure that our market can ensure demand, grid load, and keeps people warm this winter. I have faith that with the right changes in policies the American people can achieve this goal as soon as possible, but we must act now.

On behalf of our constituents, I ask you to consider the following policy changes as soon as possible to prevent Granite Staters from freezing this winter due to the rising cost of energy, fuel, and the pending shortage of diesel fuel in New Hampshire as reported by Fortune:

• Repeal the Jones Act to allow increased trade, inflow and outflow, of energy and other goods into the United States. This will lower costs and allow our U.S. markets to expand and our consumers to benefit.

• Unlock North American Energy Potential by fast lighting a new pipeline projects akin to the Keystone XL pipeline that was blocked by the Biden Administration on his first day in office.

• Bring stability and clarity to our U.S. Energy producers by encouraging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to renew and grant new leases and permits for drilling, fracking, and other energy exploration projects while also approving permits for energy infrastructure enhancements and modification projects to restore confidence and security in our American Energy markets.

• Support an All-of-the-Above Energy Portfolio by expanding any potential tax credits or development grants to new projects regardless of energy sources in order to leverage our current resources while enabling the market to invest in new technologies. This will prevent consumers from feeling unnecessary pain as our energy resources and grid transitions to cleaner, renewable fuels.

Government policies alone will not get us out of this crisis; only the power of a freer energy market can do that. Where it is prudent, practical, and commonsense, I urge you to repeal and refine existing government policies to enable market forces to deliver the best deal for the American and Granite State consumer; anything short of utilizing every available resource we have to negate this looming crisis is a failure caused by policy that can only be solved by removing said policy obstacles in the market. I look forward to working with you and your offices on behalf of the people of New Hampshire.

Best,

Rep. Joe Sweeney Rockingham District 8 (Salem)