Political Quotes

“I rise in support today of S. 1236 as reported by the Committee on Commerce. In its original form, this legislation would have authorized the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend for 6 more years the deadline for commencing construction of the Arrowrock Dam Project in the State of Idaho. In his testimony before the subcommittee on the legislation, the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission stated his opposition to the bill in the form in which it was then pending before the committee because it would have extended the construction deadline on the Arrowrock Project for a total of up to 16 years. Traditionally, Congress extends these licenses for a total of only 10 years; and in those instances in which FERC does not object, licenses have been extended for up to that period. I am only aware of one instance in recent memory in which a license has been extended for as much as 16 years. When an entity holds a license but fails to develop a project, it is potentially preventing others from developing and exploiting that site for hydropower or for other uses. Sometimes a licensee who is not developing a site may be purposefully using license extensions for the very purpose of preventing other potential applicants from developing the site, and that is a process that is known as site banking.”