[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 109 (Thursday, June 28, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4808-S4809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TO AMEND THE FEDERAL POWER ACT TO MODERNIZE AUTHORIZATIONS FOR 
                     NECESSARY HYDROPOWER APPROVALS

  Senate proceeded to consider the bill (S. 724) to amend the Federal 
Power Act to modernize authorizations for necessary hydropower 
approvals.
  The amendment (No. 3391) was agreed to, as follows:

[[Page S4809]]

  


  (Purpose: To include a provision relating to the payment of annual 
                                charges)

       At the end, add the following:
       (c) Obligation for Payment of Annual Charges.--Any 
     obligation of a licensee or exemptee for the payment of 
     annual charges under section 10(e) of the Federal Power Act 
     (16 U.S.C. 803(e)) for a project that has not commenced 
     construction as of the date of enactment of this Act shall 
     commence not earlier than the latest of--
       (1) the date by which the licensee or exemptee is required 
     to commence construction; or
       (2) the date of any extension of the deadline under 
     paragraph (1).

  The bill (S. 724), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 724

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

     SECTION 1. MODERNIZING AUTHORIZATIONS FOR NECESSARY 
                   HYDROPOWER APPROVALS.

       (a) Preliminary Permits.--Section 5 of the Federal Power 
     Act (16 U.S.C. 798) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``three'' and inserting 
     ``4''; and
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) by striking ``Commission may extend the period of a 
     preliminary permit once for not more than 2 additional years 
     beyond the 3 years'' and inserting the following: 
     ``Commission may--
       ``(1) extend the period of a preliminary permit once for 
     not more than 4 additional years beyond the 4 years'';
       (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; 
     and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) after the end of an extension period granted under 
     paragraph (1), issue an additional permit to the permittee if 
     the Commission determines that there are extraordinary 
     circumstances that warrant the issuance of the additional 
     permit.''.
       (b) Time Limit for Construction of Project Works.--Section 
     13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) is amended in the 
     second sentence by striking ``once but not longer than two 
     additional years'' and inserting ``for not more than 8 
     additional years,''.
       (c) Obligation for Payment of Annual Charges.--Any 
     obligation of a licensee or exemptee for the payment of 
     annual charges under section 10(e) of the Federal Power Act 
     (16 U.S.C. 803(e)) for a project that has not commenced 
     construction as of the date of enactment of this Act shall 
     commence not earlier than the latest of--
       (1) the date by which the licensee or exemptee is required 
     to commence construction; or
       (2) the date of any extension of the deadline under 
     paragraph (1).

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