Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1967 would amend the permitting process for pumped storage hydropower projects utilizing multiple Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs. Currently, hydropower projects involving Reclamation facilities are subject to either the FERC permitting process or the Reclamation permitting process, based on whether a Reclamation facility was originally authorized for hydropower development. The unique nature of pumped storage projects, which require the use of multiple separate reservoirs, can mean that a single proposed project can be subject to both Reclamation and FERC's permitting processes, since different reservoirs are under different agency jurisdiction. If enacted, H.R. 1967 would subject pumped storage projects using multiple Reclamation reservoirs to just the Reclamation permitting process instead of the process for both Reclamation and FERC. Like FERC, Reclamation's permitting project requires authorized pumped storage projects to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and other statutory requirements. While I believe that H.R. 1967 is a commonsense bill and I support its passage, I also support ongoing efforts to incorporate feedback from the Colville Tribe in Washington State as this bill advances to the Senate and proceeds through the legislative process. Mr.…”