Congressmen Brett Guthrie and Bob Latta have announced a rescheduled date for a hearing focused on pipeline safety policy. The hearing, titled “Strengthening American Energy: A Review of Pipeline Safety Policy,” took place on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at 10:30 AM ET in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C.
The chairmen emphasized the importance of secure pipeline infrastructure for maintaining the nation’s energy dominance. “This hearing will provide us with the opportunity to discuss priorities for pipeline safety reauthorization and examine what steps need to be taken to build and operate pipelines safely and effectively,” they said.
Jim Moriarty from Chesapeake Utilities Corporation testified before the House Energy Subcommittee on this topic. He discussed the company’s dedication to pipeline safety and infrastructure modernization, as well as the necessity for regulatory clarity in reauthorizing the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) program.
Chesapeake Utilities serves over 440,000 customers across nine states through an extensive network of pipelines. Moriarty highlighted their investment of $460 million over ten years to modernize systems and replace leak-prone pipes. The company has also adopted advanced technologies like AI-driven leak detection.
Moriarty’s testimony included several recommendations for PHMSA reauthorization. These include streamlining regulatory processes, strengthening state 811 One Call programs to prevent excavation damage, embracing technology for leak detection, increasing penalties for intentional damage to pipelines, supporting research on hydrogen blending safety standards, and aligning reauthorization cycles with other legislative timelines.
He concluded by calling for bipartisan collaboration to advance practical safety measures while ensuring affordable energy delivery. Chesapeake Utilities committed to ongoing partnerships with PHMSA and Congress.
The hearing was open to the public and press and was livestreamed on energycommerce.house.gov. For further inquiries about the hearing or press-related questions, contacts are provided within the announcement.
Information from this article can be found here.
