Energy Subcommittee Chairwoman Fletcher Holds Bipartisan Teleconference on COVID-19 Impacts on Energy Jobs and Paths to Recovery
(Houston, TX) – Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Energy held a bipartisan teleconference with Mr. David Foster, Distinguished Associate at Energy Futures Initiative (EFI); Mr. Joe Hezir, Managing Principal at EFI; and Ms. Melanie Kenderdine, also a Managing Principal at EFI. The purpose of the teleconference was to expand the Subcommittee’s understanding regarding the impacts the COVID-19 health crisis on the American energy sector and its workforce.
“As we consider policies to help Americans who are now out of work and to stimulate our economy, we must pay particular attention to our energy workers—by some measures more than 5% of American workers work in oil and gas alone—as well as looking ahead to our energy future and making smart investments in research, infrastructure, and people for a cleaner energy future,” said Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Energy, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX). “The solutions for helping energy workers in California may be different than those in Texas, but we all need to act quickly and decisively if we are going to protect and renew the U.S. energy industry.”
The Members, along with Mr. Foster, Mr. Hezir, and Ms. Kenderdine, discussed which aspects of the COVID-19 crisis are hurting energy companies the most, the impacts of the current crisis on U.S. energy jobs and how those impacts can vary across energy sectors and regions, and what initial steps Congress should consider taking to restore and modernize the U.S. energy sector in the months to come.
“The impacts of the COVID-19 health crisis extend into all aspects of American life, and the energy sector and its workforce are no exception,” said Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). “As we move forward and navigate through this uncertain time, we remain committed to strengthening our clean energy future. That means we must work together in achieving a plan for recovery and restoration for our American energy workers.”
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