[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 160 (Monday, October 24, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H6990-H6991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              KANTISHNA HILLS RENEWABLE ENERGY ACT OF 2011

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 441) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
issue permits for a microhydro project in nonwilderness areas within 
the boundaries of Denali National Park and Preserve, to acquire land 
for Denali National Park and Preserve from Doyon Tourism, Inc., and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 441

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Kantishna Hills Renewable 
     Energy Act of 2011''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Appurtenance.--The term ``appurtenance'' includes--
       (A) transmission lines;
       (B) distribution lines;
       (C) signs;
       (D) buried communication lines;
       (E) necessary access routes for microhydro project 
     construction, operation, and maintenance; and
       (F) electric cables.
       (2) Kantishna hills area.--The term ``Kantishna Hills 
     area'' means the area of the Park located within 2 miles of 
     Moose Creek, as depicted on the map.
       (3) Map.--The term ``map'' means the map entitled 
     ``Kantishna Hills Micro-Hydro Area'', numbered 184/80,276, 
     and dated August 27, 2010.
       (4) Microhydro project.--
       (A) In general.--The term ``microhydro project'' means a 
     hydroelectric power generating facility with a maximum power 
     generation capability of 100 kilowatts.
       (B) Inclusions.--The term ``microhydro project'' includes--
       (i) intake pipelines, including the intake pipeline located 
     on Eureka Creek, approximately \1/2\ mile upstream from the 
     Park Road, as depicted on the map;
       (ii) each system appurtenance of the microhydro projects; 
     and
       (iii) any distribution or transmission lines required to 
     serve the Kantishna Hills area.
       (5) Park.--The term ``Park'' means the Denali National Park 
     and Preserve.
       (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.

     SEC. 3. PERMITS FOR MICROHYDRO PROJECTS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary may issue permits for 
     microhydro projects in the Kantishna Hills area.
       (b) Terms and Conditions.--Each permit under subsection (a) 
     shall be--
       (1) issued in accordance with such terms and conditions as 
     are generally applicable to rights-of-way within units of the 
     National Park System; and
       (2) subject to such other terms and conditions as the 
     Secretary determines to be necessary.
       (c) Completion of Environmental Analysis.--Not later than 
     180 days after the date on which an applicant submits an 
     application for the issuance of a permit under this section, 
     the Secretary shall complete any analysis required by the 
     National Environment Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
     seq.) of any proposed or existing microhydro projects located 
     in the Kantishna Hills area.

     SEC. 4. LAND EXCHANGE.

       (a) In General.--For the purpose of consolidating ownership 
     of Park and Doyon Tourism, Inc. lands, including those lands 
     affected solely by the Doyon Tourism microhydro project, and 
     subject to subsection (d), the Secretary may exchange Park 
     land near or adjacent to land owned by Doyon Tourism, Inc., 
     located at the mouth of Eureka Creek in sec. 13, T.16 S., R. 
     18 W., Fairbanks Meridian, for approximately 18 acres of land 
     owned by Doyon Tourism, Inc., within the Galena patented 
     mining claim.
       (b) Map Availability.--The map shall be on file and 
     available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of 
     the National Park Service.
       (c) Timing.--The Secretary shall seek to complete the 
     exchange under this section by not later than February 1, 
     2015.
       (d) Applicable Laws; Terms and Conditions.--The exchange 
     under this section shall be subject to--
       (1) the laws (including regulations) and policies 
     applicable to exchanges of land administered by the National 
     Park Service, including the laws and policies concerning land 
     appraisals, equalization of values, and environmental 
     compliance; and
       (2) such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines 
     to be necessary.
       (e) Equalization of Values.--If the tracts proposed for 
     exchange under this section are determined not to be equal in 
     value, an equalization of values may be achieved by adjusting 
     the quantity of acres described in subsection (a).
       (f) Administration.--The land acquired by the Secretary 
     pursuant to the exchange under this section shall be 
     administered as part of the Park.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. 
Napolitano) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alaska.


                             General Leave

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

[[Page H6991]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Alaska?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 441, the Kantishna Hills Renewable Energy Act, 
would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue permits for a 
microhydro project within a nonwilderness area of Denali National Park. 
Additionally, it will facilitate a small land exchange between the 
National Park Service and Doyon, Ltd., which owns and operates the 
facilities that will take advantage of the proposed microhydro project. 
Finally, at the request of the National Park Service, this bill will 
allow the Park Service to permit similar projects that exist or may 
exist in the future. Roughly only six acres of land would be affected.
  Doyon is one of 13 Alaska Native Regional Corporations formed under 
the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Currently, the facilities at 
Kantishna, which are located at the end of a 90-mile park road, operate 
exclusively off diesel fuel. Not being connected to any grid system, 
the roadhouse must produce all its energy onsite. This means trucking 
thousands of gallons of diesel fuel over the long and treacherous park 
road. Energy created by this microhydro project could cut the 
roadhouse's diesel usage in half and drastically reduce the need of 
these trips.
  Down the road at the new Eielson Visitor Center, the National Park 
Service operates a similar microhydro project to great success, and the 
Kantishna Roadhouse seeks to take advantage of similar technology that 
could help rid their reliance on costly diesel fuel.
  Working with both the National Park Service and Doyon, we have before 
us a bill that was crafted in a truly collaborative fashion that is a 
win-win that lowers the fossil fuel use in the park, lowers costs for 
the lodge operators, and protects park resources.
  I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mrs. NAPOLITANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
her remarks.)
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. I really must commend my colleague and my friend, 
Mr. Young, on the introduction of this piece of legislation as we're 
looking for more individual entities to go to green energy and save 
fossil fuel. Besides, it saves many other things that we've talked 
about in our committees and subcommittees, so I'm glad to see this, Mr. 
Young.
  We fully support projects designated to reduce the pollution caused 
by the use of fossil fuels. In this instance, a small hydroelectric 
project will be used to supply some of the power currently being 
generated by a diesel generator for a backcountry lodge.

                              {time}  1620

  The project will also reduce the number of trips needed to haul 
diesel fuel into the park. Hopefully, the National Park Service can 
find many other units where cleaner energy technology can be employed 
and thus save everybody some heartache.
  I commend, again, my colleague and my friend for introduction of this 
piece of legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I again urge the passage of this 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 441, ``The Kantishna Hills Renewable Energy Act of 2011,'' which 
authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue permits for 
microhydro projects in the Kantishna Hills area within the Denali 
National Park and Preserve in Alaska. These projects will harness the 
power of water to create up to 100 kilowatts of electricity that will 
be used to serve much of the area.
  As the Representative from the 18th Congressional District in 
Houston, TX, our nation's energy capital, I firmly believe in 
supporting viable renewable energy projects. In my home state the 
energy industry and its supporting businesses has created thousands of 
jobs and has fostered economic growth. It is imperative that we find 
ways to meet our nation's grown appetite for energy.
  According to the National Hydropower Association, in the United 
States hydropower projects are responsible for providing 81 percent of 
the nation's renewable electricity generation and about 10 percent of 
the nation's total electricity. In terms of everyday use, this is 
enough to power 37.8 million homes.
  The average Americans consumes 10,896 kilowatts of electricity each 
year. In Texas, alone, over 9 million residences are using electricity, 
at a rate of about 1,000 kilowatts a month. This costs Texans an 
estimated $141.23 a month in electric bills. At a time when we are all 
tightening our belts. If one of our solutions can be found by simply 
harnessing water, then it deserves more than a second glance.
  Water has been used as a power source for centuries, from Africa to 
Asia to Europe. As of today, there are 85,000 small-scale hydro power 
plants in China alone. We are not talking about large-scale projects 
that have an impact on wildlife habitats.
  A large-scale hydro project often requires a sizeable dam. These 
large-scale dams have raised numerous environmental concerns. Micro 
projects have significantly less impact on the environment because they 
use the natural flow of a river and make only minute modifications to 
the stream channel and flow of water in order to generate power.
  Before us, today, are renewable energy projects that will have a 
marginal impact on the environment (when compared to large-scale 
plants); a project that will create jobs; and a project that will 
create much needed energy. On balance this project appears to find 
symmetry between protecting the environment, creating jobs and meeting 
our nation's energy needs.
  I believe that finding ways to address and meet our growing energy 
needs is vital to the economic success of our nation. We should allow 
the expansion of renewable energy projects that have a limited impact 
on the environment, will create jobs, and will meet our energy needs. I 
believe working with the energy community to bolster creative industry 
approaches and protecting our environment will result in job creation. 
I believe that sound energy policies not only will protect our 
environment but are important to the long term health and wellbeing of 
our citizens.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 441, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to issue permits for microhydro projects in 
nonwilderness areas within the boundaries of Denali National Park and 
Preserve, to acquire land for Denali National Park and Preserve from 
Doyon Tourism, Inc., and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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