[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 130 (Tuesday, July 29, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4797-S4798]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REQUIRING THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION TO EXTEND THE TIME 
PERIOD DURING WHICH LICENSEES ARE REQUIRED TO COMMENCE CONSTRUCTION OF 
                      CERTAIN HYDROPOWER PROJECTS

  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, hydropower produces affordable, reliable, 
and clean baseload power in Montana and across the United States. For 
years, I have worked with my colleagues to grow our hydropower 
portfolio in creating new jobs, lowering prices, and strengthening our 
grid.
  I want to thank Senator Fetterman for joining me as my colead to push 
this bill across the finish line.
  Our bipartisan bill, S. 1020, simply allows the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission to extend licenses for the construction of new 
hydropower projects that have been affected by supply chain shortages 
back to 2020.
  This bill passed the Senate last year by unanimous consent, and we 
can do that again here today. There are a number of projects whose 
licenses will expire if we don't pass my bill--projects in Montana, 
Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Oregon, and Alaska--pumped 
storage projects that will help balance the grid and small projects 
that will also power rural communities. It is bipartisan and 
noncontroversial. It is one that we must pass today. The good news is, 
we do not have objections so it is going to pass today.
  With that, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule 
XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources be discharged from further consideration of S. 1020 and that 
the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1020) to require the Federal Energy Regulatory 
     Commission to extend the time period during which licensees 
     are required to commence construction of certain hydropower 
     projects.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 1020) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1020

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

[[Page S4798]]

  


     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF TIME TO COMMENCE CONSTRUCTION OF 
                   CERTAIN HYDROPOWER PROJECTS.

       (a) Definition of Covered Project.--In this section, the 
     term ``covered project'' means a hydropower project with 
     respect to which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
     issued a license before March 13, 2020.
       (b) Authorization of Extension.--Notwithstanding section 13 
     of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806), on the request of a 
     licensee of a covered project, the Federal Energy Regulatory 
     Commission may, after reasonable notice and for good cause 
     shown, extend in accordance with subsection (c) the period 
     during which the licensee is required to commence 
     construction of the covered project for not more than an 
     additional 6 years beyond the 8 years authorized by that 
     section.
       (c) Period of Extension.--An extension of time to commence 
     construction of a covered project under subsection (b) 
     shall--
       (1) consist of not more than 3 consecutive 2-year periods;
       (2) begin on the date on which the final extension of the 
     period for commencement of construction granted to the 
     licensee under section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 
     806) expires; and
       (3) end on the date that is not more than 6 years after the 
     latest date to which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
     is authorized to extend the period for commencement of 
     construction under that section.
       (d) Reinstatement of Expired License.--If the time period 
     required under section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 
     806) to commence construction of a covered project expires 
     after December 31, 2023, and before the date of enactment of 
     this Act--
       (1) the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may reinstate 
     the license for the applicable project effective as of the 
     date of expiration of the license; and
       (2) the extension authorized under subsection (b) shall 
     take effect on the date of that expiration.

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