Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) on Feb. 25 received the American Public Power Association’s Public Service Award at APPA’s Legislative Rally in Washington, D.C.
Westerman was honored by APPA for exceptional leadership on issues of importance to public power -- particularly in his vital role as chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.
In his leadership role, Westerman has championed critical legislation focused on permitting reform and wildfire mitigation, APPA noted.
The Fix Our Forests Act is aimed at enhancing and streamlining federal operations to combat the growing threat of wildfires, and the SPEED Act aims to improve the permitting process for electric utilities and their partners by creating clearer timelines and judicial review standards for challenges to permitting procedures under the National Environmental Policy Act.
Both bills have passed the House with bipartisan support.
“Chairman Westerman knows what it takes for electric utilities to thrive,” said APPA President & CEO Scott Corwin. “He has shown this through his leadership on the House Natural Resources Committee—particularly in the areas of infrastructure permitting and wildfire abatement. These are vital issues that we need to get right to keep our communities reliably and affordably powered, and we are proud to partner with Chairman Westerman on this mission.”
Westerman has represented Arkansas’s 4th Congressional District, home to five public power utilities serving more than 100,000 people, since 2015.
