10.01.21

Livestreams Next Week: Tribal and Native Hawaiian Bills on Tuesday, Oversight Hearing on Power Distribution in Puerto Rico on Wednesday

Washington, D.C. – The Natural Resources Committee is holding two livestreamed events next week.

TUESDAY, OCT. 5

Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States

The Subcommittee, led by Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

·         H.J.Res.55 (Kahele), Prince Jonah K?hi? Kalaniana‘ole Protecting Family Legacies Act.

·         H.R. 441 (Young), To provide for the conveyance of certain property to the Tanana Tribal Council located in Tanana, Alaska, and for other purposes.

·         H.R. 2402 (Fortenberry), To transfer administrative jurisdiction of certain Federal lands from the Army Corps of Engineers to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to take such lands into trust for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, and for other purposes. Winnebago Land Transfer Act of 2021.

·         H.R. 4881 (Grijalva), Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act.

·         H.R. 5221 (Grijalva), To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to establish an urban Indian organization confer policy for the Department of Health and Human Services. Urban Indian Health Confer Act.

Witnesses

Panel I: Congressional Panel

·         Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, Arizona, 3rd District

·         Rep. Don Young, Alaska, At-Large

·         Rep. Kaiali'i Kahele, Hawaii, 2nd District

·         Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska, 1st District

Panel II: Administration Panel

·         Mr. P. Benjamin Smith (H.R. 441, H.R. 5221), Deputy Director for Intergovernmental Affairs, Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

·         Mr. Darryl LaCounte (H.J.Res.55, H.R. 2402, H.R. 4881), Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior

Panel III: Expert Witness Panel

·         The Honorable Peter Yucupicio (H.R. 4881), Chairman, Pascua Yaqui Tribe

·         The Honorable William J. Ail?, Jr. (H.J.Res.55), Chairman, Hawaiian Homes Commission, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

·         The Honorable Lois Huntington (H.R. 441), First Chief, Tanana Tribal Council, Native Village of Tanana

·         The Honorable Victoria Kitcheyan (H.R. 2402), Chairwoman, Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

·         Mr. Walter Murillo (H.R. 5221), President, National Council of Urban Indian Health

When: 12:00 p.m. Eastern time

Watch Live: https://youtu.be/6s4oX3KOSy4

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 6

Full Committee (Office of Insular Affairs)

The full Committee, led by Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), will hold an oversight hearing titled The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) Post-Implementation of the LUMA Transmission and Distribution Contract.

On June 1, 2021, LUMA Energy (LUMA) took over management of Puerto Rico’s transmission and distribution system from PREPA, effectively privatizing Puerto Rico’s electrical grid. Since LUMA assumed responsibility, power outages and other service disruptions have plagued the island. 

By law, Puerto Rico must begin to transition over to renewable sources of electricity. Although Puerto Rico now receives less than 3 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, 40 percent of its electricity must come from renewable resources by 2025, 60 percent by 2040 and 100 percent by 2050.

This hearing will examine the status of Puerto Rico’s electric network, the privatization of the transmission and distribution system from PREPA to LUMA and the transition toward renewable energy.

Witnesses 

  • Mr. Fernando Gil, President, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA)
  • Mr. Edison Avilés-Deliz, PE, Esq., Chairman, Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB)
  • Mr. Wayne Stensby, President and Chief Executive Officer, LUMA Energy Puerto Rico
  • Ms. Ruth Santiago, Community and Environmental Attorney
  • Prof. Agustín Irizarry, Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez
  • Mr. Fermín Fontanés (Minority Witness), Executive Director, Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnership Authority (P3A)
  • Mr. Manuel Laboy (Minority Witness), Executive Director, Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction, and Resiliency (COR3)

When: 1:00 p.m. Eastern time

Watch Live: https://youtu.be/Qn8T6aw1r6I

Press Contact

Media Contact: David Shen

(202) 225-6065 or (202) 860-6494 mobile