Angie Craig: “I rise to introduce a bill, and I send it to the desk. Mr. President, the bill I introduce is the Hydroelectric…”

“I rise to introduce a bill, and I send it to the desk. Mr. President, the bill I introduce is the Hydroelectric Licensing Process Improvement Act of 2001. As its title suggests, the purpose of the bill is to improve the process by which non-federal hydroelectric projects are licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. I introduced an identical bill early in the 106th Congress. Several hearings were held on the bill in both the Senate and House. I introduce this bill today with the full understanding that the bill may undergo some changes as a result of collaboration with my colleague Senator Bingaman and others on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. At the end of the last Congress, Senator Bingaman offered to work with me in a bipartisan fashion to successfully report this bill out of Committee in the 107th Congress. I enthusiastically look forward to working with him to ensure that this bill gets the necessary attention to move smoothly and with appropriate speed through the Committee process. Mr. President, hydropower represents ten percent of the energy produced in the United States, and approximately 85% of all renewable energy generation. This is a significant portion of our nation's electricity, produced without air pollution or greenhouse gas emissions, and it is accomplished at relatively low cost.”