[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 131 (Saturday, September 26, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1827]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1827]]



                  HYDRO RELICENSING IN NEED OF REFORM

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Saturday, September 26, 1998

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Subcommittee on Energy and 
Power held an oversight hearing on the relicensing process for the 
Nation's hydroelectric projects. This is an important energy issue. 
Hydroelectric generation is the third largest source of U.S. electric 
generation. And it accounts for about 96 percent of U.S. renewable 
energy generation. While the time remaining in this session will not 
permit us to address any kind of meaningful reform in the relicensing 
process, it is clear from yesterday's hearing that this should be a top 
priority in the 106th Congress.
  Currently relicense applications make up the bulk of the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission's licensing workload. The Commission's 
work, in this area, has been hampered by the complex nature of the 
relicensing process. A number of parties are involved; the gamut of 
Federal laws governing the process often have very different and 
contradictory goals; and we also discovered that there are disputes 
between the authority retained by State resource agencies and the 
Commission.
  The multiple layers involved in the relicensing process has imposed 
regulatory requirements and costs that threaten to undermine the 
Nation's hydropower system. New York City greatly benefits from the 
inexpensive hydropower generated by the Niagara Falls through New York 
utilities like, the New York Power Authority and Consolidated Edison. 
Given the need to relicense over 65 percent of the Nation's hydro 
electric capacity in the next 15 years, we must seriously consider 
establishing a more reasonable regulatory process.
  I would urge my colleagues to make reform of the hydro relicensing 
process a top priority in the next Congress. We can ill-afford to lose 
the benefits of our Nation's most reliable and environmentally sound 
renewable energy source. I look forward to addressing this important 
energy issue next year.

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