Northwest Energy Security Act

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. Short title The Act may be cited as the Northwest Energy Security Act 2. Definitions For the purposes of this Act: (1) FCRPS The term FCRPS (2) Secretaries The term Secretaries (A) the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation; (B) the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Bonneville Power Administration; and (C) the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Army Corps of Engineers. (3) Supplemental opinion The term Supplemental Opinion Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision 3. Operation of FCRPS The Secretaries shall operate the FCRPS in a manner consistent with the reasonable and prudent alternative set forth in the Supplemental Opinion. 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 such 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. 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.

Summary: Northwest Energy Security Act This bill requires Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) operations to be consistent with a specified decision. The system includes dams in the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest. 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. The preferred alternative outlined in that decision would allow specified dams in the lower Snake River to remain in place. The 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.