House small business panel holds hearing on energy, water and workforce needs for U.S. industrial growth

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Energy, Workforce & Growth Hearing

Highlights

Congressman Jake Ellzey's September 2 hearing emphasizes the need for balanced energy, water, and workforce infrastructure to avoid shifting costs to families and businesses.
State Rep. Harris advocates for Texas agency primacy in water and energy regulation, highlighting permitting efficiency and acute rural shortages of water operators and skilled workers.
Workforce development, brownfield redevelopment, and liability protections could turn former industrial communities into competitive sites for new U.S. energy and manufacturing investment.

Hearing focus on infrastructure and labor capacity

As reported by House Committee on Small Business, citing the House Committee on Small Business, Congressman Jake Ellzey on September 2 holds a hearing titled “Fueling the Golden Age: Future Resource Needs and Small Business Opportunity” on the energy, water and workforce requirements needed to support the next generation of U.S. manufacturing and technology growth.

Ellzey says the U.S. must build infrastructure to meet rising water and energy demand without shifting the cost burden onto families, farmers and small businesses. He says that if policymakers get the balance right, the effort can protect ratepayers, strengthen communities and create lasting business opportunities for local contractors, manufacturers and skilled workers.

He also says small businesses are positioned to help deliver these projects, but need access to trained workers, certifications and fair chances to compete so that economic gains remain in the communities where construction and development take place.

Texas permitting and rural workforce gaps in focus

During the hearing, State Rep. Harris says Texas benefits when federal authorities give state agencies greater primacy in regulatory matters involving water and energy infrastructure. He points to permitting efficiency and site selection for nuclear reactors as a key issue as the state prepares for what he describes as a nuclear renaissance.

Harris says rural areas face acute shortages of water operators, with multiple systems in a single county often struggling to recruit qualified staff. He says Texas has been working with education agencies and technical colleges to create pathways for students leaving high school to earn certifications in water system operations and move directly into skilled jobs.

He adds that electricians and other skilled workers are also in short supply as data centers and new technologies expand. In another exchange, Chairman Williams says plumbers, welders and carpenters remain essential to the broader economy.

On rural manufacturing competitiveness, Mr. Ellis says existing industrial sites and local labor pools can help attract new energy and manufacturing investment. He says workforce development, brownfield redevelopment and liability protections tied to remediation could help former industrial communities become launch points for the next generation of manufacturing.

Our earlier coverage of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s markup detailed lawmakers’ push to advance a package of energy and environmental bills aimed at accelerating U.S. nuclear development while reducing regulatory burdens and compliance costs. We noted that the committee advanced multiple nuclear-related measures to streamline licensing and improve transparency, alongside proposals touching the Clean Air Act, transportation programs, and updated EPA rules for lithium-ion battery recycling to support domestic supply chains.

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