WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2nd) has successfully attached an amendment on wind energy impacts to a large House energy bill that will now make its way to the Senate.
The amendment would require the U.S. comptroller general’s Government Accountability Office (GAO) to prepare and publish a report to Congress on the “potential adverse effects of wind energy development in the North Atlantic Planning Area.”
The report would consider maritime safety, economic impacts, and maritime environment and ecology.
The amendment is part of a House Republican bill (H.R. 1) termed the Lower Energy Cost Act. The vote to pass the bill was 225-to-204, with one Republican voting against the bill and four Democrats voting in favor. The bill would increase domestic production of oil, natural gas, and coal by rolling back restrictions on fossil fuel production.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the bill faces major hurdles in the Senate. The bill would also likely face a veto should it reach the president’s desk. The White House Office of Management and Budget said in a statement that H.R. 1 would “double the cost of energy efficiency upgrades,” calling the bill “a thinly veiled license to pollute.”
Van Drew says the H.R. 1 relieves “America’s burden at the pump” and regains “America’s energy independence.” Referencing his amendment, Van Drew called it “a major victory in ensuring that our New Jersey coasts are protected from industrialization.”
