The House Energy and Commerce Committee lead by Chairman Fred Upton has released a “framework document” Monday that outlines their legislative goals for energy policy.

Congressman Upton said, “Our energy realities have changed dramatically – we’ve gone from bust to boom practically overnight. However, today’s energy policies are lagging far behind.”

The four-part outline described as “Building the Architecture of Abundance and More” focuses on:

1. Modernizing Infrastructure such as pipelines to deliver oil and gas to consumers, and upgrading the electrical grid to accommodate new intermittent resources and cyber security threats.
2. Educating the 21^st century workforce for modern energy and manufacturing.
3. Leveraging energy for international diplomacy to enhance energy security, reduce dependence on OPEC and increase energy exports.
4. Efficiency and Accountability, the committee supports solutions that harness new technologies and promote innovation for more efficient energy use through voluntary programs, guidelines and improved data sharing.

Congress has not passed any major energy legislation since 2007. While parts of the plan such as increasing education to workers are expected to be bipartisan, other parts of the plan such as efforts to confront the EPA over their new carbon initiatives are sure to face opposition.