Fueling the Golden Age: Future Resource Needs and Small Business Opportunity

The House Committee on Small Business held a hearing on September 3, 2026, titled "Fueling the Golden Age: Future Resource Needs and Small Business Opportunity." The discussion focused on the growing demand for energy and water infrastructure driven by population growth, reshoring of manufacturing, and emerging technologies such as data centers supporting artificial intelligence. Witnesses highlighted the critical role of small businesses in building and maintaining energy and water infrastructure, emphasizing the need for reliable, affordable power and water to support economic growth. Key procurement-related topics included the importance of streamlining federal permitting processes to accelerate infrastructure projects, the potential of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) to provide clean, reliable power, and the challenges posed by aging infrastructure and rising costs. The hearing also addressed policy impacts such as the repeal of federal clean energy investment incentives, tariffs on critical materials, and the administration's restrictions on wind and solar projects, which were said to increase costs and delay capacity expansion. Members discussed the need for federal and state collaboration to support infrastructure development, workforce training for skilled trades, and ensuring that large energy consumers like data centers pay their fair share of grid upgrade costs. The committee explored strategies to enhance energy dominance, reduce dependence on foreign energy sources, and balance environmental concerns with economic and security priorities. No specific contract awards or vendor selections were mentioned, but the conversation underscored the importance of policy and regulatory reforms to facilitate future procurement and infrastructure investments benefiting small businesses and communities.