[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9036-9037]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1600
 EXTENDING DEADLINE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT NUMBERED 
                                 12642

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 951) 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. 951

       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 12642, 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 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 in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.
  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, this bill, H.R. 951, introduced by the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), the distinguished chair of the Education and 
the Workforce Committee, authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission,

[[Page 9037]]

FERC, to extend up to 6 years the time period during which construction 
must commence on the W. Kerr Scott Hydropower Project located on the 
Yadkin River in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Additionally, FERC may 
reinstate the construction license if it is expired.
  A similar bill was passed under suspension in the last Congress, and 
I hope that we can pass it again today, urging the Senate to take this 
legislation up.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us, sponsored by the gentlewoman 
from North Carolina, would authorize FERC to extend for 6 years the 
date by which the licensee for the W. Kerr Scott Hydropower Project is 
required to commence construction. This is necessary because the 
project's licensee was not able to commence construction by the 
already-extended deadline of July 17, 2016.
  Similar legislation authored by Ms. Foxx passed the House during the 
114th Congress by a vote of 406-3. I hope my colleagues will support 
this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Michigan (Mr. 
Upton).
  I rise in support of H.R. 951, a bill I authored to extend the 
license authorizing the Wilkesboro Hydroelectric Company's construction 
of its hydropower project at W. Kerr Scott Dam.
  The project has required exhaustive coordination with the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, and there have been delays in the review process 
for the design plans. As the Wilkesboro Hydroelectric Company takes 
steps to comply with statutory mandates and requirements by Federal 
regulators, the shot clock for action on breaking ground dwindles. As 
has often happened with these projects, delays in the review process 
and coordination efforts precluded the start of construction.
  I ask my colleagues to support a new authorization for this project, 
along with the other projects the House is considering today. 
Furthermore, I applaud Representative McMorris Rodgers and the House 
Energy and Commerce Committee for working on comprehensive reform 
legislation to address the statutory framework and FERC processes 
pertaining to these projects.
  I am a proud supporter of our Nation's renewable energy resources. 
Congress should optimize the use of our Nation's clean, renewable 
hydropower potential by bringing regulatory and permitting certainty to 
the process.
  Given North Carolina's growth and demand for electricity, my State 
needs Congress to explore every opportunity to meet our energy demands, 
provide for job growth, and sustain our environment. As chair of the 
Education and the Workforce Committee, I will work tirelessly with the 
other committees in the House and the Trump administration to achieve 
this.
  I thank Chairman Walden, Majority Leader McCarthy, and former 
Chairman Upton for bringing this important legislation to the floor.
  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, this is important legislation, and I would 
like to think that we can pass it again this afternoon.
  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. 951.
  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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