Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3657) to amend the Federal Power Act to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to annually submit to Congress a report on the status of ongoing hydropower relicensing applications, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 3657
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act''. SEC. 2. ANNUAL LICENSING STATUS REPORT.
The Federal Power Act is amended by inserting after section 36 (16 U.S.C. 823g) the following: ``SEC. 37. ANNUAL LICENSING STATUS REPORT.
``(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the status of--
``(1) the licensing process for each new license, and for each subsequent license for which sections 14 and 15 have been waived, for which the existing licensee has notified the Commission under section 15(b)(1) at least 3 years prior to submission of the report that such existing licensee intends to file an application for such new license or subsequent license, but such new license or subsequent license has not yet been issued under section 15; and
``(2) the licensing process for each original license under section 4(e) for which a citizen, association, corporation, State, Indian Tribe, or municipality has notified the Commission, pursuant to applicable regulations, at least 3 years prior to submission of the report that such citizen, association, corporation, State, Indian Tribe, or municipality intends to file an application for such original license, but such original license has not yet been issued under section 4(e).
``(b) Inclusions.--Each report submitted under subsection (a) shall include, with respect to the licensing process for each new license and subsequent license described in such subsection and the licensing process for each original license described in such subsection--
``(1) the date the notice of intent described in such subsection was provided to the Commission;
``(2) any docket number assigned with respect to such licensing process;
``(3) whether any application for such new license, such subsequent license, or such original license has been filed;
``(4) information regarding the status of any such application, including the date the Commission anticipates it will issue such original license, such subsequent license, or such new license;
``(5) the date of any upcoming proceeding or other meeting related to such original license, such subsequent license, or such new license; and
``(6) a description of any ongoing or completed actions required of the existing licensee, citizen, association, corporation, State, Indian Tribe, municipality, the Commission, the fish and wildlife agencies referred to in section 15(b), and any other agencies.
``(c) Disaggregation of Information by License Type.--The information included in each report submitted under subsection (a) shall be disaggregated by whether the information relates to a new license, or a subsequent license, issued under section 15 or an original license issued under section 4(e).''.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3657, the Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act, led by the gentleman from Idaho's First District and the gentlewoman from Washington's Eighth District.
Hydropower is critical to our Nation's energy mix, supplying power to approximately 30 million homes and businesses and accounting for 40 percent of the Nation's black start capacity.
However, the average age of a hydropower facility in the United States is 60 years. Therefore, hundreds of projects will be up for relicensing between now and 2035.
Hydropower developers must go through an extensive permitting process in order to license and relicense projects. While important, this process can significantly increase the cost and timeline of relicensing these important energy sources. In fact, the average permitting length of an original license process spans from 5 to 7 years, and the average relicensing process takes between 7 and 10 years.
To increase transparency surrounding the status of hydropower licensing and relicensing applications, H.R. 3657 would require an annual report from FERC to Congress detailing the status of projects that have filed a notice of intent for original or new licenses. This will better inform Congress on the status of applications and highlight obstacles to the efficient permitting and deployment of hydropower projects.
It is imperative that projects are relicensed in a timely manner to ensure clean and reliable hydropower dams remain online for years to come.
I thank the gentlewoman from Washington's Eighth District and the gentleman from Idaho's First Congressional District for their leadership on this very important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3657, and I reserve the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on the bill. I am prepared to close if the gentleman is, and I reserve the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, all the reports that we have across this country state that we have been producing more power, not less, and hydropower plays an important role in our structure of energy in this country.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source