Bureau of Reclamation Conduit Hydropower Development Equity and Jobs Act

Floor Speech

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1963) to amend the Water Conservation and Utilization Act to authorize the development of non-Federal hydropower and issuance of leases of power privileges at projects constructed pursuant to the authority of the Water Conservation and Utilization Act, and for other purposes, as amended.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 1963 by Congressman Daines of Montana seeks to jump-start conduit hydropower development at 11 Bureau of Reclamation projects. The bill specifically removes statutory impediments by authorizing non-Federal hydropower development at these conduits and provides administrative and regulatory reforms necessary to foster such development.

Earlier this year, the House passed H.R. 678 by Congressman Tipton and Congressman Costa by a 416-7 vote to promote conduit hydropower development at reclamation facilities. H.R. 678 applied to hundreds of reclamation facilities that are covered under the authorities of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. This measure applies to the remaining reclamation facilities, all of which are governed under the different and more complex authorities of the Water Conservation and Utilization Act of 1939.

The Tipton bill provided for a streamlined regulatory process in part by providing a categorical exemption for redundant environmental reviews. The WCUA actually forbids the installation of small hydroelectric generators in the projects regulated under this act, and thus the need for this separate legislation.

The arguments in favor of getting the Federal Government out of the way so that private contractors can lease existing Federal pipelines and canals for the purpose of installing small hydroelectric generators are well known to the House, as evidenced by the overwhelming bipartisan vote accorded the Tipton bill earlier this year. That bill was signed into law a few months ago, and I am told it has already produced a flood of new applications for clean and cheap small hydroelectric generators.

Not only has a new source of absolutely clean and inexpensive hydroelectricity been made available, the Federal Treasury benefits from the revenues that these leases produce in addition to the added economic activity that they enable. Mr. Daines' measure completes that work by applying the same policy to the remaining reclamation facilities that fell under the WCUA.

I commend the gentleman from Montana for his leadership on this issue, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Source