Senator Murkowski's Reynolds Creek Hydro Bill Clears Energy Panel

SENATOR MURKOWSKI'S REYNOLDS CREEK HYDRO BILL CLEARS ENERGY PANEL

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski today won approval for legislation to extend the license of the proposed Reynolds Creek hydroelectric project on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast. The legislation would give the Haida Corp., the project's sponsors, up to six additional years to begin construction of the project.

Murkowski last year introduced and won full Senate approval for the legislation to extend the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license for the proposed 5-megawatt power project. FERC had issued a license three years ago for the 20-foot long, 6-foot high dam on Reynolds Creek -including a 3,200-foot penstock and a powerhouse and two turbine units and a transmission line to take power produced by the hydro project to Hydaburg. The bill, while it cleared the Senate, did not have time to pass the House in the closing days of the 108th Congress.

Murkowski today won Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approval for the bill (S. 176), clearing it for Senate floor consideration. She said the extension is needed to give more time for the island's economy - and electrical usage needs - to recover from the downturn caused by the reduction in logging efforts. The project will produce power that is less expensive and more environmentally friendly than the current diesel-generated power used on the island - -once electrical demand increase to make the project's capital costs more economically affordable for local rate payers.

http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=231860