Daines talks Montana energy, mining in Senate hearing
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News from the office of Senator Daines
U.S. SENATE — At a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing today, U.S. Senator Steve Daines stressed the need for an all-of-the-above, Made in Montana and Made in America energy portfolio, including energy storage like the Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Hydro Project.
“What’s happening in Europe is an example of what not to do – this energy crisis is a grave warning … of scaling back our diverse energy portfolio … Germany just recently had to pass emergency legislation to keep its coal plants burning … just to keep the lights on, to keep people warm this winter … If the Biden Administration had its way, that would be the future of American energy … I am not opposed to renewables … but we should be expanding our energy portfolio with these renewables, not replacing baseload power … that’s why I think all-of-the-above [energy] is really, really important, and has severe consequences if you get it wrong. The Gordon Butte Pumped Storage Hydro Project is a perfect example of how Montana is leading in all-of-the-above solutions,” Daines said.
Daines also called for more domestic mining to allow America to become less dependent on China for critical minerals.
“The United States is import dependent on China for 31 of the 50 minerals designated as critical. As we move forward with more renewable sources of energy, China … could constrain the supply chain and our ability to keep energy storage supply chains moving forward – [China], a country that has slave labor, has far lower environmental standards than the United States. Meanwhile, we have these radical environmental groups in the ninth circuit court who use litigation to tie up the domestic mining of the materials needed for responsible renewable energy development. These constant delays are a threat to our national security, they hurt our economy, and they hold back the future of renewable energy technology,” Daines said.
