I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1762 

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 

MARCH 23, 2023 

Mr. NEWHOUSE (for himself and Mrs. RODGERS of Washington) 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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 The Act may be cited as the ‘‘Northwest Energy Se5 curity Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 For the purposes of this Act: 


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1 (1) FCRPS.—The term ‘‘FCRPS’’ means those 

2 portions of the Federal Columbia River Power Sys3 tem that are the subject of the Supplemental Opin4 ion. 

5 (2) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 

6 means— 

7 (A) the Secretary of the Interior, acting 

8 through the Bureau of Reclamation; 

9 (B) the Secretary of Energy, acting 

10 through the Bonneville Power Administration; 

11 and 

12 (C) the Secretary of the Army, acting 

13 through the Army Corps of Engineers. 

14 (3) SUPPLEMENTAL OPINION.—The term ‘‘Sup15 plemental Opinion’’ means the document titled ‘‘Co16 lumbia River System Operations Environmental Im17 pact Statement Record of Decision’’, and dated Sep18 tember 2020. 

19 SEC. 3. OPERATION OF FCRPS. 

20 The Secretaries shall operate the FCRPS in a man21 ner consistent with the reasonable and prudent alternative 

22 set forth in the Supplemental Opinion. 

23 SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO SUPPLEMENTAL OPINION. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 3, the 

25 Secretaries may amend portions of the Supplemental 


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1 Opinion and operate the FCRPS in accordance with such 

2 amendments if all of the Secretaries determine, in the sole 

3 discretion of each Secretary, that— 

4 (1) the amendment is necessary for public safe5 ty or transmission and grid reliability; or 

6 (2) the actions, operations, or other require7 ments that the amendment would remove are no 

8 longer warranted. 

9 (b) RESTRICTION ON AMENDMENTS.—The process 

10 described in subsection (a) shall be the only method by 

11 which the Secretaries may operate the FCRPS in any way 

12 that is not consistent with the reasonable and prudent al13 ternative set forth in the Supplemental Opinion. 

14 SEC. 5. LIMITATION ON RESTRICTING FCRPS ELECTRICAL 

15 GENERATION; CLARIFICATION. 

16 (a) RESTRICTING FCRPS ELECTRICAL GENERA17 TION.—No structural modification, action, study, or engi18 neering plan that restricts electrical generation at any 

19 FCRPS hydroelectric dam, or that limits navigation on 

20 the Snake River in the State of Washington, Oregon, or 

21 Idaho, shall proceed unless such proposal is specifically 

22 and expressly authorized by a Federal statute enacted 

23 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

24 (b) CLARIFICATION.—Nothing in this section affects 

25 or interferes with the authority of the Secretaries to conVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:55 Apr 06, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1762.IH H1762

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1 duct operation and maintenance activities or make capital 

2 improvements necessary to meet authorized project pur3 poses of FCRPS facilities. 

Æ 


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