[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9034]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 EXTENDING DEADLINE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT NUMBERED 
                                 12737

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 446) to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a 
hydroelectric project.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 446

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

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding the time period specified 
     in section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) that 
     would otherwise apply to the Federal Energy Regulatory 
     Commission project numbered 12737, the Commission may, at the 
     request of the licensee for the project, and after reasonable 
     notice, in accordance with the good faith, due diligence, and 
     public interest requirements of that section and the 
     Commission's procedures under that section, extend the time 
     period during which the licensee is required to commence the 
     construction of the project for up to 3 consecutive 2-year 
     periods from the date of the expiration of the extension 
     originally issued by the Commission.
       (b) Reinstatement of Expired License.--If the period 
     required for commencement of construction of the project 
     described in subsection (a) has expired prior to the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Commission may reinstate the 
     license for the project effective as of the date of its 
     expiration and the first extension authorized under 
     subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of such 
     expiration.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Upton) and the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mr. UPTON. 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 H.R. 446.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 446 authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, FERC, upon request, to extend by 6 years the time period 
during which construction must commence on the Gathright Hydroelectric 
Project located in Alleghany County, Virginia. Additionally, FERC may 
reinstate the construction license if it is expired.
  A similar bill was passed under suspension of the rules in the 114th 
Congress in a bipartisan way, and I would hope that we can do it today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 446, a bill to extend the 
deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project, 
introduced by Mr. Griffith.
  On March 13, 2012, FERC licensed the Gathright Hydroelectric Project 
to be located at the Army Corps of Engineers' Gathright Dam on the 
Jackson River in Alleghany County, Virginia. The licensee for the 
Gathright project was not able to commence construction by the already-
extended deadline in March 2016.
  The bill would, therefore, authorize FERC to extend for up to three 
consecutive 2-year periods the date by which the licensee is required 
to commence construction. Similar legislation passed the House of 
Representatives by voice vote twice during the last Congress.
  I hope everybody will support passage of H.R. 446. I hope we can get 
this thing built.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith), a member of the Energy and 
Commerce Committee.
  Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 446, which 
would extend the construction commencement deadline for a hydroelectric 
project at the Gathright Dam in Alleghany County.
  Extensive coordination between the hydroelectric project developer 
and the Army Corps and the current difficulties in obtaining a power 
purchase agreement have necessitated this construction's start-date 
extension.
  This legislation has passed the House previously unanimously and was 
included in last Congress's House comprehensive energy bill. It is my 
hope that this legislation will once again receive overwhelming support 
in this Chamber. I appreciate the support of my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 446.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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