To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2072 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2072

To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time
period during which licensees are required to commence construction of
                      certain hydropower projects.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 11, 2025

   Mr. Newhouse (for himself, Mr. Fulcher, Mr. Baumgartner, and Mr.
   Fields) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time
period during which licensees are required to commence construction of
                      certain hydropower projects.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF TIME TO COMMENCE CONSTRUCTION OF CERTAIN
              HYDROPOWER PROJECTS.

    (a) Definition of Covered Project.--In this section, the term
``covered project'' means a hydropower project with respect to which
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a license before March
13, 2020.
    (b) Authorization of Extension.--Notwithstanding section 13 of the
Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806), on the request of a licensee of a
covered project, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may, after
reasonable notice and for good cause shown, extend in accordance with
subsection (c) the period during which the licensee is required to
commence construction of the covered project for not more than an
additional 6 years beyond the 8 years authorized by that section.
    (c) Period of Extension.--An extension of time to commence
construction of a covered project under subsection (b) shall--
            (1) consist of not more than 3 consecutive 2-year periods;
            (2) begin on the date on which the final extension of the
        period for commencement of construction granted to the licensee
        under section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806)
        expires; and
            (3) end on the date that is not more than 6 years after the
        latest date to which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
        is authorized to extend the period for commencement of
        construction under that section.
    (d) Reinstatement of Expired License.--If the time period required
under section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) to commence
construction of a covered project expires after December 31, 2023, and
before the date of enactment of this Act--
            (1) the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may reinstate
        the license for the applicable project effective as of the date
        of expiration of the license; and
            (2) the extension authorized under subsection (b) shall
        take effect on the date of that expiration.
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