[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 98 (Thursday, June 8, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E795-E796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR COMMENCEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION OF A 
                         HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DAN NEWHOUSE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 8, 2017

  Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation to 
extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric 
project in my district. Specifically, this legislation will provide for 
a ``commencement of construction'' deadline extension for the Enloe Dam 
Hydroelectric Project that is being developed in Washington State by 
the Okanogan Public Utility District.
  On July 9, 2013, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 
granted the Okanogan Public Utility District an original license for 
the Enloe Dam Hydroelectric Project, which will be located at the 
existing Enloe Dam that is situated about 3.5 miles northwest of the 
City of Oroville in the State of Washington. The current Enloe Dam was 
constructed in 1920 on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land for power 
generation. However, operations ceased in 1958 when the extension of 
Bonneville Power Administration's

[[Page E796]]

high voltage transmission line into the Okanogan Valley provided a less 
expensive source of electricity. The proposed Enloe Dam Hydroelectric 
Project makes economic and environmental sense, as it will convert 
currently untapped energy in existing flow releases into clean, 
renewable energy.
  The Enloe Dam Hydroelectric Project will have a footprint that is 
roughly half the size of the existing facility but will provide 
approximately three times the generating capacity of the decommissioned 
plant. Completion of the Project will provide Washingtonians and the 
Pacific Northwest region with a clean, renewable energy resource that 
generates an estimated 45,000 megawatt hours per year of carbon-free, 
renewable power. Additionally, the proposed project will create jobs 
and needed employment opportunities in a region with an unemployment 
rate that far exceeds the national average, underscoring the many 
positive benefits this project will have for the local community, 
state, and region.
  The legislation will allow for development of this critical 
hydropower facility to move forward under a realistic regulatory 
timeline and in a manner consistent with prior congressional actions on 
similar projects. By passing this measure and extending the 
commencement of construction deadline for the Enloe Dam Hydroelectric 
Project, Congress can help spur hydropower development in Central 
Washington and ensure the Project's many benefits are realized. For 
these reasons I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense 
legislation, which will have a positive and lasting impact on the 
region's energy supply and economic viability.

                          ____________________