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Hydroelectric Licensing Process Improvement Act of 1999

Introduced: March 25, 1999 See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 23, 2000
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 106-686.
Mar 26, 1999
Referred to Subcommittee on Water and Power.
Mar 25, 1999
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mar 25, 1999
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3470-3471)
Mar 25, 1999
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Hydroelectric Licensing Process Improvement Act of 1999 - Amends the Federal Power Act to prescribe factors which Federal agency participants in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) hydroelectric license renewal process (consulting agencies) must consider and document when setting forth conditions for such renewals, including the economic impact of such conditions as well as air quality, flood control, irrigation, navigation, and recreation and drinking water supply, and the means to ensure that the condition addresses only direct project environmental impacts and does so at the lowest project cost.

Requires that each condition be subjected to appropriately substantiated scientific peer review based on current empirical data or field-tested data.

Requires such consulting agency to provide a license applicant, at least 90 days before the required filing of the application, an opportunity to obtain expedited administrative review of its proposed conditions before filing a FERC application.

Empowers the reviewing body to remand the matter to such agency if the reviewer finds the agency's proposed conditions do not comply with this Act.

Sets a one-year deadline by which a consulting agency must file its proposed licensing conditions with FERC.

Directs FERC to: (1) conduct an economic analysis of each condition submitted by a consulting agency to determine whether it would render the project uneconomic; (2) conduct a single consolidated environmental review for each licensed project pursuant to its status as lead agency for environmental reviews; and (3) set a deadline for the submission of comments by Federal, State, and local government agencies regarding any environmental impact or assessment required for a project. Instructs FERC to consider the need of license applicants for a prompt decision when setting such deadlines.

Directs FERC to study and report to certain congressional committees on the feasibility of establishing a separate licensing procedure for small hydroelectric projects with a generating capacity of five megawatts or less.

What's happening now May 23, 2000

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 106-686.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Republican 1