Congresswoman Schrier's Bill to Streamline Hydropower Licensing Passes the House

Representative Kim Schrier's Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act has been passed by the House, aiming to streamline the hydropower dam licensing process and enhance transparency for all parties involved. The bipartisan bill, introduced alongside Congressman Russ Fulcher, seeks to address the current bottlenecks and delays in the relicensing process, which can take up to ten years to complete. This legislation requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to provide annual updates on the status of pending hydropower relicensing proceedings, empowering communities, Tribes, resource agencies, and stakeholders with the necessary information.

Key Takeaways:

• The Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act aims to streamline the hydropower dam licensing process by requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to provide an annual report to Congress on the status of the licensing process for each hydropower dam license application.
• The bill seeks to address the current bottlenecks and delays in the relicensing process, which can take up to ten years to complete, with applicants seeking licenses for new hydropower dams being the most sensitive to licensing costs and delays.
• Existing hydropower facilities have existing revenue streams to finance relicensing costs, whereas new project costs are covered by the project developer.
• The bill aims to maintain resource adequacy in the Pacific Northwest by enhancing the efficiency of the hydropower licensing process.
• Representatives Kim Schrier and Russ Fulcher have introduced the bipartisan legislation to provide greater transparency and accountability in the hydropower licensing process.
• The Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act has received support from various stakeholders, including the American Whitewater, the National Hydropower Association, and the Chelan County public utility district.

Statistics:

• The current relicensing process can take up to ten years to complete.
• Hydropower facilities must relicense their facilities with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) every 30 to 50 years.
• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is expected to more than double its relicensing activity in the coming decade, according to a recent DOE report.
• Applicants seeking licenses for new hydropower dams are the most sensitive to licensing costs and delays.

Sources:

• Congresswoman Kim Schrier's Office, "Congresswoman Schrier's Bill to Streamline Hydropower Licensing Passes the House"
• Forbes, "House Passes Bill Aimed At Streamlining Hydropower Licensing"
• The Hill, "House passes bill to streamline hydropower licensing process"