WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) questioned the affordability and reliability of different types of energy in a congressional hearing on Tuesday.
“Can you just speak to the complexities of managing the grid and understanding that not all power is created equal,” Evans asked during the hearing.
The House Subcommittee on Energy’s hearing focused on U.S. energy production as demand increases. Energy grid reliability has become a partisan issue. Republicans prioritize “unleashing American energy,” according to President Donald Trump. Democrats want to include wind, solar, and nuclear energy in this process, while making sure the Inflation Reduction Act remains intact.
“Our Republican colleagues are purposely ignoring the fact they’re attempting to repeal the single biggest consent to build electricity capacity in this country and that is the Inflation Reduction Act,” said U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) during the hearing. “It’s not the way to address the increasing need for energy.”
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) said federal funding freezes hurt organizations that provide energy services. Republicans are ignoring “illegal firings” at the Department of Energy, including the inspector general, she added.
Energy has also been targeted by Trump’s tariffs. Castor said Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. threaten to raise costs for consumers.
“The tariffs have strained the integrated power grid shared by the two countries and this interconnected system has historically provided reliability and cost benefits, but tariffs now are threatening this efficiency,” Castor said during the hearing.
Evans said in a written statement to the Colorado Times Recorder that tariffs restore balance in international trade and bring more jobs to Colorado.
“Reciprocal tariffs ensure free and fair trade for American producers, including energy producers,” Evans said. “For instance, talk of tariffs has opened conversation with European leaders to replace dirty Russian natural gas with cleaner American natural gas, which would reduce annual carbon emissions by thousands of tons annually. Restoring balance in international trade brings more jobs to Colorado, protects the environment by increasing responsible production in the United States (vs dirty coal and slave labor in places like China or Russia), and lowers costs for Americans.”
Trump has issued executive orders that single out energy. One ended funds disbursed from the Inflation Reduction Act. Another declared the U.S. in an “energy emergency.”
Republicans have also tried to vote to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act 54 times, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) said during the hearing. She asked Gordon van Welie, the president of ISO New England, a regional transmission organization, if the Inflation Reduction Act is essential to energy reliability.
“I think in the near term, the interconnection team is full of a lot of renewable projects,” Welie said during the hearing. “And so I’m sure [repealing money from the Inflation Reduction Act] would make those less likely to come. We do need those to come.”
Evans joined 21 Republicans in signing a letter urging Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) not to repeal energy tax credits that come from the Inflation Reduction Act.
When asked about further protecting aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act, Evans said in a written statement to the Colorado Times Recorder, “I can’t give a position on hypothetical proposals, but I can point you back to what Congressman Garbarino, me, and 20 of our Republican colleagues said in our letter. We are focused on policies that promote safe, reliable, and affordable American-made energy.”
UPDATE 4/25: This article was updated with Evans’ full statement on trade. Initially, the article contained only part of the statement and paraphrased his specific comment about jobs.
