Collinsville Renewable Energy Promotion Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The legislation before the House today is pretty simple. It will permit several communities in my district, the Fifth Congressional District of Connecticut, to operate two now-defunct hydroelectric dams as municipal power sources. The dams, the Upper and Lower Collinsville dams, have lain dormant in Connecticut's Farmington River since the 1960s. The licenses previously issued by FERC to operate both these dams are currently inactive, and this legislation would allow FERC to reinstate them and transfer them to the town of Canton, Connecticut, for operation. The State legislature has already passed legislation to operate these two State-owned dams, but Federal legislation is also needed to restore their operation.

These small dams are already a beloved and longstanding symbol of the Farmington Valley's rich history. They used to power a very well-known and thriving axe factory on the site. This legislation would allow for additional comments and for environmental data to be considered by FERC prior to taking any action, ensuring that the river's health and the region's health is well protected.

This legislation has been drafted over the course of many months with the close cooperation of FERC, who's unopposed to the legislation, and we put together a bipartisan coalition of stakeholders, including all of the affected communities, the Governor of the State of Connecticut, and regional and national river protection organizations. Simply put, there is broad and deep consensus and agreement that these dams represent a valuable source of renewable energy right in the heart of suburban Connecticut.

And while we work here in the House and the Senate to enact much broader and sweeping policies to try to promote renewable energy development around this country, we need to also recognize that in some parts of this Nation there are some very locally produced, locally driven projects like this one in Canton and Avon, Connecticut, that can produce some pretty immediate effects for local rate payers, providing them with clean, renewable, locally produced and locally run energy.

I would like to thank Chairman Waxman and Chairman Markey and Ranking Members Barton and Upton for their help in bringing this legislation to the floor. And I urge passage today of H.R. 4451.

I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his support of the bill and for working with us in providing the amendments that he referenced. I think it is important to underscore his point, that this is not a requirement that FERC reissue these licenses to the town of Canton, it is permissive language allowing them to do that given proper environmental review and proper availability of comment from other interested parties.

This really is an example of how local power production can be done right. This is a nonpartisan local issue, Democrats and Republicans at the local and State level, along with the administration in the State of Connecticut coming together, to try to promote a project to bring two long-dormant dams online.

I would note also that the reconstruction of the dams will allow for potential fish passage along a stream that has not allowed for that passage for a long time. There are multiple benefits to the community and to ratepayers. I thank the gentleman for his support of the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source