U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-OR) on June 18 introduced H.R. 9337, the Hydropower Licensing Affordability Act, which the American Public Power Association supports.
The bill would amend sections 4(e) and 18 of the Federal Power Act to clarify that mandatory conditions for the licensing of non-federal hydropower must be limited to those that are necessary to reasonably mitigate the direct adverse effects of a project on federal reservations and fish populations, respectively.
Currently, national resource agencies can require mandatory conditions that must be met for the project to proceed, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) cannot reject them regardless of cost, impact, or whether the condition is directly relevant to the project. This is a significant impediment to the development of new hydropower facilities and the relicensing of existing facilities.
APPA supports the legislation as expressed by APPA President & CEO Scott Corwin, who was quoted in a press release from Rep. Bentz’s office.
“The American Public Power Association (APPA) strongly supports the Hydropower Licensing Affordability Act and urges Congress to advance this legislation without delay. Hydropower is essential to affordable, reliable electricity, but relicensing remains costly, complex, and uncertain,” said Corwin.
“While FERC must consider many factors, it cannot modify ‘mandatory conditions’ imposed by other agencies. This bill would clarify that such conditions are limited to addressing direct adverse effects. Without reform, existing hydropower capacity is at risk, threatening grid reliability,” he said.
