The bill – introduced during a Natural Resources Water and Power Subcommittee hearing on hydropower- would exempt any conduit-type hydropower project generating less than one and a half megawatt from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) jurisdiction. It would also require the Bureau of Reclamation to examine its facilities for more conduit generation opportunities using existing funding.
“One-size-fits-all federal regulations make small scale hydropower projects throughout the country financially prohibitive by imposing unnecessary and outdated rules. My bill would help stimulate the economy of rural America, empower local irrigation districts to generate revenue, and decrease reliance on fossil fuels – all at no cost to the taxpayer,” Smith said.
News of Smith’s bill comes just a few weeks after US Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at increasing the production of hydroelectricity in the country – the Hydropower Improvement Act and the Hydropower Renewable Energy Development Act.
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