On the Hill in September and October 2026: A Breakdown of Climate, Energy, and Environmental Hearings

Before breaking for October recess, Congress held a total of 14 environmental, energy, and climate-related hearings. The House of Representatives held 12 of these hearings across six different standing committees, while the Senate held two across two standing committees. Hearings covered issues ranging from domestic produce and natural gas bans to securing critical resources and supply chains.

Wildlife and conservation—highly bipartisan topics on the Hill—were the focus of four hearings, three under the House Committee on Natural Resources and one in the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. One House hearing, Recognizing American Historical Sites and Promoting Proper Land Management, discussed bills on the threat of mountain pine beetle infestations (H.R.9999) and the protection of wild horse populations (S.1377). The Examining Water Rights and Habitat Management Policies hearing saw wildlife bills on manatee protections (H.R.9590), invasive mussel species (H.R.3717), and reassessing protections for alligators (H.R.10117). Another Senate hearing on pending legislation focused on the conservation of aquatic ecosystems (S.5402), giant sequoias (S.4103/H.R.2709), and hot springs (S.5101).

Nuclear energy, another area of bipartisan agreement, was the second-most discussed topic in September, with two hearings on nuclear waste and one on nuclear reactors. One Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing examined U.S. nuclear waste management policy and proposals to update disposal technology. The House Energy and Commerce Committee examined nuclear spent fuel policy and the potential of proposed nuclear lifestyle innovation campuses to reduce waste. In a separate hearing, the Energy Subcommittee under the House Committee on Energy and Commerce discussed the nuclear energy renaissance, highlighting the importance of nuclear reactors and Department of Energy programs that support these technologies. Subcommittee Chair Randy Weber noted that these reactors could support growing U.S. energy demand, including energy demand from data centers.

As the United States begins to experience the impacts of the 2026-2027 Super El Niño, disaster preparation has continued to garner interest on the Hill. Accordingly, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing, Innovation in Disaster Prevention: Advancing Technology for Prediction and Response, to assess the use of AI, autonomous systems, and advanced sensing to detect natural disasters.

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Author: Lauren Kim