Washington, DC – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) issued the following statement after passage of H.R. 5892, the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act introduced by Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). The legislation included amended language of Smith’s Small Scale Hydropower Enhancement Act (H.R. 795):
“I applaud passage of the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act in the House of Representatives, and thank Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers for her leadership on this issue. I am particularly pleased the bill included language from the Small Scale Hydropower Enhancement Act to encourage economic growth in rural America and increase domestic energy production at no cost to the taxpayers.
“This commonsense legislation passed the House with bipartisan support and deserves prompt consideration by the Senate and President.”
Background:
Congressman Smith, along with Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA), introduced the Small Scale Hydropower Enhancement Act (H.R. 795) to exempt hydropower projects generating less than one and a half megawatts from the Federal Regulatory Commission's (FERC) permitting rules. FERC regulates the licensing and inspection of private, municipal, and state hydroelectric projects.
H.R. 5892 increases the exemption level for conduit-type hydropower projects from 1.5 megawatts proposed under H.R. 795 to 5 megawatts.
This legislation would allow, for instance, irrigation districts and municipalities to partner with local power districts to generate up to 5 megawatts of existing conduit hydropower without going through the lengthy and burdensome FERC permitting and exemption process.
“I applaud passage of the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act in the House of Representatives, and thank Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers for her leadership on this issue. I am particularly pleased the bill included language from the Small Scale Hydropower Enhancement Act to encourage economic growth in rural America and increase domestic energy production at no cost to the taxpayers.
“This commonsense legislation passed the House with bipartisan support and deserves prompt consideration by the Senate and President.”
Background:
Congressman Smith, along with Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA), introduced the Small Scale Hydropower Enhancement Act (H.R. 795) to exempt hydropower projects generating less than one and a half megawatts from the Federal Regulatory Commission's (FERC) permitting rules. FERC regulates the licensing and inspection of private, municipal, and state hydroelectric projects.
H.R. 5892 increases the exemption level for conduit-type hydropower projects from 1.5 megawatts proposed under H.R. 795 to 5 megawatts.
This legislation would allow, for instance, irrigation districts and municipalities to partner with local power districts to generate up to 5 megawatts of existing conduit hydropower without going through the lengthy and burdensome FERC permitting and exemption process.
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