Press ReleaseNeutral2026-04-16

Chairman Weber Delivers Opening Statement at Energy Subcommittee Hearing on American Energy and Mineral Dominance

EnvironmentChinaTradeTechnology

Context

This press release from Representative Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX) was published on 2026-04-16 and titled "Chairman Weber Delivers Opening Statement at Energy Subcommittee Hearing on American Energy and Mineral Dominance". It focuses on the environment and touches on China, trade policy.

Full Text

Chairman Weber Delivers Opening Statement at Energy Subcommittee Hearing on American Energy and Mineral Dominance

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14), Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing, “Subsurface Science and Technology: American Energy and Mineral Dominance.” Watch Subcommittee Chairman Weber's opening statement here. Read Subcommittee Chairman Weber’s opening statement below: "Welcome to today’s hearing titled Subsurface Science and Technology: American Energy and Mineral Dominance. I recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statement. "Well, good morning, you all. You can tell I’m from Texas. Good morning, and welcome to today’s Energy Subcommittee hearing titled Subsurface Science and Technology: American Energy and Mineral Dominance. "The United States is blessed with an abundance of natural resources across our magnificent country. For over a century, our nation has generated a significant portion of its power directly from subsurface resources such as coal and natural gas. Technological breakthroughs in subsurface sciences have enabled us to access these resources in new and innovative ways, unlocking potential that was once thought, quite frankly, impossible. "A great example of this is the geothermal energy sector. Previously, geothermal energy was limited to certain regions due to extremely specific conditions required for it to be a viable energy source. For a geothermal well to be successful, the required combination of shallow heat, permeable rock, and available water had to be present to extract heat from the Earth and generate electricity. If any of these requirements were not met, a geothermal well would not generate power. As a result, the few areas capable of supporting geothermal electricity generation were tapped decades ago, which left the industry in a position where some believed that its full potential had already been reached. "Thanks to innovation in the oil and gas sector, geothermal is getting a new lease on life. Over the last few decades, oil and gas have been at the forefront of new drilling and extraction technologies and methods. These breakthroughs have helped address issues that traditional geothermal energy has faced in the past. Next-generation geothermal systems are also well suited to play a role in leveraging established technologies like hydraulic fracturing and drilling deeper to access hotter rock, bringing baseload geothermal to new regions across the entire country. "The timing for these enhanced geothermal systems to be commercialized could not be better. Energy demand is skyrocketing as we are not only onshoring manufacturing, but also electrifying our lives and working to stay ahead of the Chinese Communist Party in the artificial intelligence race. It is very important to ensure that the U.S. is positioned for a prosperous future. "The Department of Energy underwent a reorganization in November 2025. This reorganization resulted in the establishment of two key offices for today’s hearing: the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office and the Office of Critical Minerals, Minerals, and Energy Innovation. With their creation, DOE made the subsurface—and, by extension, geothermal energy and critical minerals—a priority moving forward. "These offices have already announced funding opportunities to accelerate the deployment of next-generation geothermal energy, while helping ensure a safe and secure supply chain for the good old U.S. of A. "We have seen recently how geopolitical events can impact not only our economy, but the global economy. This underscores the importance of strengthening domestic supply chains to meet both our energy and critical mineral needs. It also highlights the need to continue advancing cutting-edge innovation. "The discoveries made by oil and natural gas companies that led to hydraulic fracturing, much of it from the Galveston, Texas area, and the hydraulic fracturing boom have helped insulate the U.S. from electricity price shocks, thanks to our enormous natural gas production capacity. This has enabled us to support our allies with LNG shipments to Europe and Asia, not only during the current supply disruption, but in previous ones as well. "The ability to bring a new baseload power source to market during an energy supply crunch is an enormous win for the American people. Paired with DOE’s ongoing efforts to reduce reliance on critical minerals from foreign countries that may not have always had our best interests in mind, this creates a powerful one-two punch for the subsurface community. "I want to thank all the witnesses for being here today and for their testimony, and I look forward to a very productive discussion. "With that, I yield back my time." ###

View original source →

Chairman Weber Delivers Opening Statement at Energy Subcommittee Hearing on American Energy and Mineral Dominance Washington, D.C. - Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14), Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing, “Subsurface Science and Technology: American Energy and Mineral Dominance.” Watch Subcommittee Chairman Weber's opening statement here. Read Subcommittee Chairman Weber’s opening statement below: "Welcome to today’s hearing titled Subsurface Science and Technology: American Energy and Mineral Dominance. I recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statement. "Well, good morning, you all. You can tell I’m from Texas. Good morning, and welcome to today’s Energy Subcommittee hearing titled Subsurface Science and Technology: American Energy and Mineral Dominance. "The United States is blessed with an abundance of natural resources across our magnificent country. For over a century, our nation has generated a significant portion of its power directly from subsurface resources such as coal and natural gas. Technological breakthroughs in subsurface sciences have enabled us to access these resources in new and innovative ways, unlocking potential that was once thought, quite frankly, impossible. "A great example of this is the geothermal energy sector. Previously, geothermal energy was limited to certain regions due to extremely specific conditions required for it to be a viable energy source. For a geothermal well to be successful, the required combination of shallow heat, permeable rock, and available water had to be present to extract heat from the Earth and generate electricity. If any of these requirements were not met, a geothermal well would not generate power. As a result, the few areas capable of supporting geothermal electricity generation were tapped decades ago, which left the industry in a position where some believed that its full potential had already been reached. "Thanks to innovation in the oil and gas sector, geothermal is getting a new lease on life. Over the last few decades, oil and gas have been at the forefront of new drilling and extraction technologies and methods. These breakthroughs have helped address issues that traditional geothermal energy has faced in the past. Next-generation geothermal systems are also well suited to play a role in leveraging established technologies like hydraulic fracturing and drilling deeper to access hotter rock, bringing baseload geothermal to new regions across the entire country. "The timing for these enhanced geothermal systems to be commercialized could not be better. Energy demand is skyrocketing as we are not only onshoring manufacturing, but also electrifying our lives and working to stay ahead of the Chinese Communist Party in the artificial intelligence race. It is very important to ensure that the U.S. is positioned for a prosperous future. "The Department of Energy underwent a reorganization in November 2025. This reorganization resulted in the establishment of two key offices for today’s hearing: the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office and the Office of Critical Minerals, Minerals, and Energy Innovation. With their creation, DOE made the subsurface—and, by extension, geothermal energy and critical minerals—a priority moving forward. "These offices have already announced funding opportunities to accelerate the deployment of next-generation geothermal energy, while helping ensure a safe and secure supply chain for the good old U.S. of A. "We have seen recently how geopolitical events can impact not only our economy, but the global economy. This underscores the importance of strengthening domestic supply chains to meet both our energy and critical mineral needs. It also highlights the need to continue advancing cutting-edge innovation. "The discoveries made by oil and natural gas companies that led to hydraulic fracturing, much of it from the Galveston, Texas area, and the hydraulic fracturing boom have helped insulate the U.S. from electricity price shocks, thanks to our enormous natural gas production capacity. This has enabled us to support our allies with LNG shipments to Europe and Asia, not only during the current supply disruption, but in previous ones as well. "The ability to bring a new baseload power source to market during an energy supply crunch is an enormous win for the American people. Paired with DOE’s ongoing efforts to reduce reliance on critical minerals from foreign countries that may not have always had our best interests in mind, this creates a powerful one-two punch for the subsurface community. "I want to thank all the witnesses for being here today and for their testimony, and I look forward to a very productive discussion. "With that, I yield back my time." ###