Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) recently introduced three pieces of legislation in support of hydropower.
H.R. 2072, would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects.
This bill would allow hydropower projects that received a FERC license to begin construction before March 13, 2020 to extend the time in which they can begin construction for up to 6 additional years beyond the standard 8 years.
This bill is similar to S. 3373 introduced by Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) in the last Congress, albeit extending the construction period by 6 years rather than the 4 years in S. 3373. H.R. 2072 has been referred to the House Energy & Commerce Committee.
H.R. 2073, the “Defending Our Dams Act.” This bill would prohibit the use of federal funds to allow or study the breach or alteration of the Lower Snake River dams (LSRD). It would also prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from carrying out spillage operations at any of the LSRDs without prior approval from the Bonneville Power Administration. It has been referred to the House Natural Resources and House Transportation & Infrastructure committees.
H.R. 2074. H.R. 2074 would prohibit the breaching of federally operated dams if the breach would result in an increase in carbon emission by more than five percent, would negatively impact navigation for commerce, or would result in an increase of at least five percent of the cost of goods being shipped.
This is similar to H.R. 8160, the Breaking Irresponsible Energy and Commercial Habits (BREACH) Act, introduced by Rep. Newhouse in the last Congress. H.R. 2074 has been referred to the House Natural Resources and House Transportation & Infrastructure committees.
