[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 53 (Monday, March 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S1999]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE:
  S. 730. A bill to extend the deadline for commencement of 
construction of certain hydroelectric projects; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bipartisan, 
noncontroversial, technical provision pertaining to two proposed 
hydroelectric projects at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dams in 
Virginia.
  This bill would give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, 
authority to extend commence-construction deadlines for the 3.7 MW 
project at Gathright Dam, FERC Project No. 12737, and the 1.8 MW 
project at Flannagan Dam, FERC Project No. 12740. The timelines for 
these projects have been set back due to challenges with securing Army 
Corps permits. FERC does not oppose this legislation, as the requested 
extensions are still within the overall 10-year window for extension of 
licensing deadlines. There is no known local opposition.
  This provision was passed by the Senate last year as part of the 
Energy Policy Modernization Act, S. 2012. It was also introduced in the 
House by Representative Morgan Griffith and passed the full House 
separately. I am pleased to reintroduce the bill again today and hope 
the Energy & Natural Resources Committee and the full Senate will 
consider it soon.
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