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This bill would require the federal agencies that run the Columbia River power system to follow a 2020 operation plan for a set period of time. In simple terms, it locks in how the system is operated unless the agencies all agree that a change is needed for public safety, power grid reliability, or because certain requirements are no longer needed. It also tries to stop new federal actions that would reduce electricity generation at Columbia River dams or limit navigation on the Snake River unless Congress later passes a law specifically allowing it. Regular maintenance and needed upgrades at these facilities would still be allowed.
- The bill tells the federal managers of the system to operate it according to the 2020 environmental decision and operation plan.
- Changes to that plan would only be allowed if all three responsible agencies agree the change is needed for safety or to keep the electric grid reliable, or if the old requirements are no longer justified.
- Any operation of the system that does not follow the 2020 plan would have to go through that change process; no other method would be allowed.
- It says no new structural change, action, study, or engineering plan that would lower power production at any dam or limit navigation on the Snake River can move forward unless Congress clearly authorizes it later.
Official Summaries
Northwest Energy Security Act
This bill requires Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) operations to be consistent with the preferred alternative in a 2020 environmental impact statement (EIS) decision that focuses on the operations, maintenance, and configuration of dams in the system rather than wild fish restoration. The system includes dams in the Columbia and Snake rivers in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho.
Specifically, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must operate the FCRPS consistent with the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision dated September 2020. Thus, Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the Army Corps must follow the EIS rather than the 2023 Resilient Columbia Basin Initiative—and a supplemental EIS proposed in 2024—that focus on wild fish restoration in the Columbia Basin.
The EIS decision may be amended if each agency determines that (1) changes are necessary for public safety or electrical grid reliability, or (2) certain requirements in the decision are no longer necessary.
Further, the bill requires statutory authorization for any structural modification, action, study, or engineering plan that (1) restricts FCRPS hydroelectric dam generation; or (2) limits navigation on the Snake River in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 626 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 626
To provide for operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System
pursuant to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 22, 2025
Mr. Newhouse (for himself, Mr. Baumgartner, Mr. Fulcher, and Mr. Bentz)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System
pursuant to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
The Act may be cited as the ``Northwest Energy Security Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) FCRPS.--The term ``FCRPS'' means those portions of the
Federal Columbia River Power System that are the subject of the
Supplemental Opinion.
(2) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means--
(A) the Secretary of the Interior, acting through
the Commissioner of Reclamation;
(B) the Secretary of Energy, acting through the
Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration;
and
(C) the Secretary of the Army, acting through the
Chief of Engineers.
(3) Supplemental opinion.--The term ``Supplemental
Opinion'' means the document entitled ``Columbia River System
Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision''
and dated September 2020.
SEC. 3. OPERATION OF FCRPS.
The Secretaries shall operate the FCRPS in a manner consistent with
the reasonable and prudent alternative described in the Supplemental
Opinion.
SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO SUPPLEMENTAL OPINION.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 3, the Secretaries may
amend portions of the Supplemental Opinion and operate the FCRPS in
accordance with those amendments if all of the Secretaries determine,
in the sole discretion of each Secretary, that--
(1) the amendment is necessary for public safety or
transmission and grid reliability; or
(2) the actions, operations, or other requirements that the
amendment would remove are no longer warranted.
(b) Restriction on Amendments.--The process described in subsection
(a) shall be the only method by which the Secretaries may operate the
FCRPS in any way that is not consistent with the reasonable and prudent
alternative set forth in the Supplemental Opinion.
SEC. 5. LIMITATION ON RESTRICTING FCRPS ELECTRICAL GENERATION;
CLARIFICATION.
(a) Restricting FCRPS Electrical Generation.--No structural
modification, action, study, or engineering plan that restricts
electrical generation at any FCRPS hydroelectric dam, or that limits
navigation on the Snake River in the State of Washington, Oregon, or
Idaho, shall proceed unless such proposal is specifically and expressly
authorized by a Federal statute enacted after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
(b) Clarification.--Nothing in this section affects or interferes
with the authority of the Secretaries to conduct operation and
maintenance activities or make capital improvements necessary to meet
authorized project purposes of FCRPS facilities.
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