[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 110 (Tuesday, June 27, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H5204-H5205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TERROR LAKE HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT UPPER HIDDEN BASIN DIVERSION 
                             AUTHORIZATION

  Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 220) to authorize the expansion of an existing hydroelectric 
project, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 220

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

     SECTION 1. TERROR LAKE HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT UPPER HIDDEN 
                   BASIN DIVERSION AUTHORIZATION.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
     Energy Regulatory Commission.
       (2) Terror lake hydroelectric project.--The term ``Terror 
     Lake Hydroelectric Project'' means the project identified in 
     section 1325 of the Alaska National Interest Lands 
     Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 3212), and which is Federal 
     Energy Regulatory Commission project number 2743.
       (3) Upper hidden basin diversion expansion.--The term 
     ``Upper Hidden Basin Diversion Expansion'' means the 
     expansion of the Terror Lake Hydroelectric Project as 
     generally described in Exhibit E to the Upper Hidden Basin 
     Grant Application dated July 2, 2014, and submitted to the 
     Alaska Energy Authority Renewable Energy Fund Round VIII by 
     Kodiak Electric Association, Inc.
       (b) Authorization.--The licensee for the Terror Lake 
     Hydroelectric Project may occupy not more than 20 acres of 
     Federal land to construct, operate, and maintain the Upper 
     Hidden Basin Diversion Expansion without further 
     authorization of the Secretary of the Interior or under the 
     Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 
     3101 et seq.).
       (c) Savings Clause.--The Upper Hidden Basin Diversion 
     Expansion shall be subject to appropriate terms and 
     conditions included in an amendment to a license issued by 
     the Commission pursuant to the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 
     791a et seq.), including section 4(e) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 
     797(e)), following an environmental review by the Commission 
     under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
     U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cook) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska 
(Mr. Young).
  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, this legislation, H.R. 220, allows 
for the expansion of the Terror Lake Hydroelectric Project on Kodiak 
Island, Alaska--by the way, which is larger than New Jersey.
  The Terror Lake Hydroelectric project provides 31 megawatts of 
hydropower capacity to the Island's approximately 13,789 residents and, 
of course, the largest Coast Guard station in the United States.
  Kodiak Island is roughly the size, as I mentioned, of New Jersey. 
This means it is reliant upon the electric generation on the Island 
mostly by hydro at this time, some diesel.
  With the growing electrical demands of the residents of Kodiak, the 
Kodiak Electric Association will not be able to meet their needs 
without requiring additional resources or will be forced back to 
increasing the use of diesel. There is no reason why a hydro-rich 
community like Kodiak should ever have to rely on diesel fuel for power 
generation. They wish to expand their operation by increasing their 
water resources, and I agree.
  My legislation allows the Kodiak Electric Company to divert small 
flows of additional water from Upper Hidden Basin into Terror Lake by 
digging a 1.5 mile underground tunnel.
  This diversion will increase the water resources at Terror Lake by 25 
percent, resulting in an additional 33,000 megawatt-hours of generation 
each year and totalling an estimated output in the project of 
approximately 168 million megawatt-hours annually.
  The issue at hand is the tunnel would need to go through Kodiak 
Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is Federal land, to the State 
land where the water diversion would be located.
  My legislation authorizes the Kodiak Electric Association to occupy 
not more than 20 acres of Federal land to construct, operate, and 
maintain the Upper Hidden Basin Division expansion without further 
authorization of the Secretary of the Interior under the Alaska 
National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
  Alaska has tremendous hydroelectric potential, and I look forward to 
moving additional commonsense reforms to provide our rural and remote 
communities for new opportunities to obtain reliable and affordable 
hydropower.
  Mr. Speaker, may I say that the Fish and Wildlife Service supports 
this, there is no objection to it, it is a solution waiting to happen, 
so we are going to dig a tunnel. This is really about a tunnel.
  Mr. BEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 220 would authorize an expansion of the existing 
Terror Lake Hydropower project in Alaska to meet increased powder 
demands from Kodiak Island.
  The expansion would have to comply with environmental protections 
required under the Federal Power Act and National Environmental Policy 
Act.
  This bill unanimously passed both the House Natural Resources 
Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
  I want to thank Mr. Young for his persuasive presentation both in 
committee and on the House floor. I fully support the sensible 
bipartisan legislation and urge my colleagues to vote for it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, I was going to say a few words about this bill 
here, but I would be in fear of my life if I changed anything on 
Congressman Young's statement.
  So with that, I think he did an outstanding job presenting, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr.

[[Page H5205]]

Cook) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 220, as 
amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. COOK. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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