Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Advances Heinrich’s WIPP Economic Assistance Assurance Act

During the Committee hearing, Heinrich denounced legislation picking winners and losers in the energy sector, criticized a Republican bill that raises electricity prices, and spoke out against policies that harm public lands

WASHINGTON - Last week, during a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee business meeting to consider pending legislation, the Committee passed U.S. Senator and Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich's (D-N.M.) bipartisan Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Economic Assistance Assurance Act, legislation to ensure long-term funding for community infrastructure projects in New Mexico surrounding WIPP.

WIPP is the nation's only deep geologic repository for the disposal of transuranic waste generated by the country's nuclear weapons program, playing a critical role in supporting national defense by managing legacy nuclear materials and national security-related cleanup efforts across the Department of Energy (DOE). The WIPP Economic Assistance Assurance Act, introduced by Heinrich in April 2026, would amend the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act to maintain vital infrastructure projects for the duration of WIPP's operation, ensuring sustained and inflation-adjusted funding goes toward New Mexico communities.

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, delivers opening remarks during a Committee hearing to consider pending legislation, September 30, 2026.

During the hearing, Heinrich also expressed concern over the Committee's lack of willingness to pass bipartisan weatherization legislation that would lower costs for American families, and criticized legislation that harms public lands. He also denounced U.S. Senator John Hoeven's (R-N.D.) GRID Power Act, which would allow fossil fuels to receive favorable treatment and connect to our grid faster than clean energy projects, ultimately raising costs for consumers.

Heinrich began his opening remarks by criticizing efforts by U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), Chairman of the Committee, to prioritize his legislation, S.1568, the Liberating Incandescent Technology (LIT) Act, over bipartisan weatherization legislation that would actually improve home efficiency upgrades and save Americans money on utilities.

"At a time of rising electric bills and increasing new demands on the electric grid, this Committee should focus on lowering costs and increasing reliability. We have a chance to extend and improve a program that has served more than 7.2 million families, saving households an average of $372 per year and supporting 8,500 good jobs. Unfortunately, the Chairman has declined to bring weatherization bills up for a vote," said Heinrich. "Instead, we are spending our time and attention 'liberating' light bulbs that industry doesn't even make, and most of us haven't even thought about in a decade."

"According to analysis of DOE and EIA data by consumer groups, LED lightbulbs save the average household $370 a year on their electric bills," Heinrich continued.

Heinrich submitted a letter of opposition to S. 1568 from consumer advocacy groups.

Heinrich then raised concerns over Lee's OHVs in Capitol Reef National Park Act, which would authorize the use of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) inside the park, "All 12 roads defined in the bill are accessible to conventional vehicles, so the idea that this bill increases access to park land is dubious. If passed, the bill would strain local emergency medical services, wear down backcountry roads faster, and push noise levels past National Park Service standards."

On S. 3785, the North Rim and Kaibab National Forest Restoration Act, Heinrich spoke to his proposed amendment that would ensure transparency and oversight of the non-competitive contracts authorized by the bill, so that taxpayer money is properly used for restoration purposes.

"We have seen what happens when this administration doesn't have to go through regular competitive contracting processes. We get shoddy work, like the Reflecting Pool, with taxpayer money funneled to the president's donors," said Heinrich. "The last thing the communities of northern Arizona need is for no-bid contracts to be awarded to fly-by-night companies that cannot get the job done at the end of the day."

In the markup portion of the Committee, Heinrich spoke out against S. 465, U.S. Senator John Hoeven's (R-N.D.) GRID Power Act, which would allow transmission providers to submit proposals to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that would favor fossil fuel companies to connect to the grid faster than clean energy companies. Heinrich noted that favoring one form of generation over others is not a smart, cost-saving path forward.

"While issues remain with generator interconnection backlogs, favoring fossil-fueled generators over others is not a smart, cost-saving path forward," said Heinrich. "My amendment would remove the word 'dispatchable' from S. 465. The amendment would still allow transmission providers to speed up their generator interconnection queues, but in a generation-neutral manner."

A video of Heinrich's remarks is here.

Heinrich's full opening remarks as delivered are below:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I look forward to advancing a number of the bills on this agenda, including important legislation that I have offered with Senator Risch to restore economic support for much-needed road and infrastructure improvements near the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

I'm also pleased we will consider bipartisan legislation related to cybersecurity and the electric grid, and advancing geothermal research.

At a time of rising electric bills and increasing new demands on the grid, this Committee should focus on lowering costs and increasing reliability.

That's why I've asked to have bipartisan weatherization legislation included on the agenda. For 50 years, the popular weatherization program has helped add insulation, repair furnaces, and make other home efficiency upgrades to households who need it most.

We have a chance to extend and improve a program that has served more than 7 million families, saving households an average of $372 per year and supporting 8,500 good jobs.

Unfortunately, the Chairman has declined to bring weatherization bills up for a vote today.

Instead, we are spending our time and attention "liberating" light bulbs that industry doesn't even make and most of us haven't even thought about in a decade.

According to analysis of DOE and EIA data by consumer groups, LED lightbulbs save the average household $370 a year on their electric bills.

Earlier this month, I submitted a letter of opposition for the record to S. 1568, the "Liberating Incandescent Technology Act" or the LIT Act, from industry.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association and the American Lighting Association warned of Chinese products flooding the market if this bill becomes law.

I would now ask for unanimous consent to submit a letter of opposition to S. 1568 from consumer groups.

Consumer Reports, the Consumer Federation of America, and the National Consumer Law Center, urge members to vote no on S. 1568, and protect Americans from skyrocketing energy costs.

I'm also concerned about S. 465, the Grid Power Act.

The bill would codify "queue jumping," allowing natural gas power plants to connect to the grid faster than clean energy sources.

This is not necessary as FERC approved a one-time process to allow some power plants to skip to the front of the line while remaining technologically neutral.

Changing this now, especially as this administration illegally props up uneconomic coal plants, could be harmful to families' and small businesses' bottom lines.

So I have an amendment that would keep the requirement for FERC to modify its generator interconnection procedures but would allow transmission providers to simply prioritize "new power projects that will improve grid reliability and resource adequacy."

Any project-not just those favored by this administration-that improves our grid's reliability could be expedited under this language.

Additionally, I would like to voice my concern over S. 2970, the OHVs in Capitol Reef National Park Act, which would authorize the use of off-highway vehicles inside the park.

All 12 roads defined in the bill are accessible to conventional vehicles, so the idea that this bill increases access to park land is dubious.

If passed, the bill would strain local emergency medical services, wear down backcountry roads faster, and push noise levels past National Park Service standards.

Lastly, on the North Rim and Kaibab National Forest Restoration Act, I have filed an amendment to ensure transparency and oversight of the non-competitive contracts authorized by the bill.

We have seen what happens when this administration doesn't have to go through regular competitive contracting processes.

We get shoddy work, like the Reflecting Pool, with taxpayer money funneled to the president's donors.

The last thing the communities of northern Arizona need is for no-bid contracts to be awarded to fly-by-night companies that cannot get the job done at the end of the day.

I know how important this restoration work is, particularly to the members from Arizona, so I am not going to vote against this bill today, but I hope we can put some necessary guardrails into this legislation to ensure the work actually gets done and taxpayer dollars aren't diverted to this administration's vanity projects.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Heinrich's remarks on his proposed amendment to S. 465, the GRID Power Act:

Mr. Chairman, I'd like to offer an amendment to S. 465.

S. 465, the GRID Power Act, would allow transmission providers to submit proposals to FERC that would allow fossil-fueled generators to jump those queue lines.

Generator interconnection queues have faced backlogs for years. And to FERC's credit, the Commission has taken action in recent years to speed up these queues, including issuing Order No. 2023.

While issues remain with generator interconnection backlogs, favoring one form of generation over others is not a smart, cost-saving path forward.

My amendment would simply remove the word "dispatchable" from S. 465. It would still allow transmission providers to speed up their generator interconnection queues, but in a generation-neutral manner.

There's no debate that there is room for improvement in our generator interconnection queues. And I think, actually, that our bipartisan permitting package, once released, will show how Chairman Lee and I agree on some common solutions to improve these queues.

But FERC has never been in the business of picking winners and losers-and they shouldn't start today.

I ask for a roll call vote on the amendment.

Thank you.

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