Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act

Bill: 113-s-306
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]
Introduced: 2013-02-13
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources

Dams and canals

Electric power generation and transmission

Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Water use and supply
Latest action: action_date: 2013-06-03
text: By Senator Wyden from Committee on Energy and Natural Resources filed written report. Report No. 113-35.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-02-13
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act - Amends the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Bureau of Reclamation) to contract for the development of small conduit hydropower at Bureau facilities.</p> <p>Defines: (1) "small conduit hydropower" as five megawatts or less; and (2) "conduit" as a tunnel, canal, pipeline, aqueduct, flume, ditch, or similar manmade water conveyance.</p> <p>Requires that power privilege leases be offered first to an irrigation district or water users association operating or receiving water from the applicable transferred or reserved work. </p> <p>Defines: (1) &quot;reserved work&quot; as any conduit included in project works whose care, operation, and maintenance have been reserved by the Secretary (through the Bureau); and (2) &quot;transferred work&quot; as any conduit included in project works whose care, operation, and maintenance have been transferred to a legally organized water users association or irrigation district.</p> <p>Exempts the small conduit hydropower development authorized by this Act from the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), except with respect to siting of associated transmission on federal lands.</p> <p>Makes the Bureau's Power Resources Office the lead office for such small conduit hydropower policy and procedure-setting activities (thus excludes such activities from the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC]).</p> <p>Declares that nothing in this Act shall: (1) obligate specified power administrations to purchase or market the power produced by such facilities, (2) alter or impede the delivery and management of water for original project purposes, or (3) alter or affect any existing agreements for conduit hydropower development projects or disposition of revenues. Deems water used for conduit hydropower generation to be incidental to use of water for the original project purposes.</p>

action_date: 2013-05-13
action_desc: Reported to Senate with amendment(s)
text: <p>Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act - Amends the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Bureau of Reclamation) to contract for the development of small conduit hydropower at Bureau facilities.</p> <p>Defines: (1) "small conduit hydropower" as 5 megawatts or less; and (2) "conduit" as a tunnel, canal, pipeline, aqueduct, flume, ditch, or similar manmade water conveyance.</p> <p>Requires that power privilege leases be offered first to an irrigation district or water users association operating or receiving water from the applicable transferred or reserved conduit. </p> <p>Defines: (1) reserved conduit as any conduit included in project works whose care, operation, and maintenance has been reserved by the Secretary (through the Bureau); and (2) transferred conduit as any conduit included in project works whose care, operation, and maintenance has been transferred to a legally organized water users association or irrigation district.</p> <p>Requires the Secretary, if the irrigation district or water users association elects not accept a lease of power privilege offer, to offer it to other parties.</p> <p>Directs the Bureau to apply its categorical exclusion process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to small conduit hydropower development, except with respect to siting of associated transmission facilities on federal lands.</p> <p>(A &quot;categorical exclusion&quot; under NEPA is a category of actions which do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment and which have been found to have no such effect in procedures adopted by a federal agency in implementing environmental regulations and for which, therefore, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required.)</p> <p>Makes the Bureau's Power Resources Office the lead office for such small conduit hydropower policy and procedure-setting activities. (Thus excludes such activities from the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC].)</p> <p>Declares that nothing in this Act shall: (1) obligate specified power administrations to purchase or market the power produced by such facilities; (2) alter or impede the delivery and management of water for original project purposes; (3) alter or affect any existing agreements for conduit hydropower development projects or disposition of revenues; or (4) alter or affect any existing preliminary permit, license, or exemption issued by FERC or any project for which an application has been filed with FERC as of the date of the enactment of this Act. Deems water used for conduit hydropower generation to be incidental to use of water for the original project purposes.</p>

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 306 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 13, 2013 Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Risch , Mr. Enzi , and Mr. Crapo ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources A BILL To authorize all Bureau of Reclamation conduit facilities for hydropower development under Federal Reclamation law, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act . 2. Authorization Section 9(c) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 ( 43 U.S.C. 485h(c) ) is amended— (1) by striking The Secretary is authorized to enter into contracts to furnish water and inserting the following: (1) The Secretary is authorized to enter into contracts to furnish water ; (2) by striking (1) shall and inserting (A) shall ; (3) by striking (2) shall and inserting (B) shall ; (4) by striking respecting the terms of sales of electric power and leases of power privileges shall be in addition and alternative to any authority in existing laws relating to particular projects and inserting respecting the sales of electric power and leases of power privileges shall be an authorization in addition to and alternative to any authority in existing laws related to particular projects, including small conduit hydropower development ; and (5) by adding at the end the following: (2) When carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall first offer the lease of power privilege to an irrigation district or water users association operating the applicable transferred work, or to the irrigation district or water users association receiving water from the applicable reserved work. The Secretary shall determine a reasonable time frame for the irrigation district or water users association to accept or reject a lease of power privilege offer. (3) The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) shall not apply to small conduit hydropower development, excluding siting of associated transmission on Federal lands, under this subsection. (4) The Power Resources Office of the Bureau of Reclamation shall be the lead office of small conduit hydropower activities conducted under this subsection. (5) Nothing in this subsection shall obligate the Western Area Power Administration, the Bonneville Power Administration, or the Southwestern Power Administration to purchase or market any of the power produced by the facilities covered under this subsection and none of the costs associated with production or delivery of such power shall be assigned to project purposes for inclusion in project rates. (6) Nothing in this subsection shall alter or impede the delivery and management of water by Bureau of Reclamation facilities, as water used for conduit hydropower generation shall be deemed incidental to use of water for the original project purposes. Lease of power privilege shall be made only when, in the judgment of the Secretary, the exercise of the lease will not be incompatible with the purposes of the project or division involved, nor shall it create any unmitigated financial or physical impacts to the project or division involved, and shall be on such terms and conditions as in the judgment of the Secretary in consultation with the appropriate irrigation district or water users association, will adequately protect the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and other interests of the United States and the project or division involved. (7) Nothing in this subsection shall alter or affect any existing agreements for the development of conduit hydropower projects or disposition of revenues. (8) In this subsection: (A) Conduit The term conduit means any Bureau of Reclamation tunnel, canal, pipeline, aqueduct, flume, ditch, or similar manmade water conveyance that is operated for the distribution of water for agricultural, municipal, or industrial consumption and not primarily for the generation of electricity. (B) Irrigation district The term irrigation district means any irrigation, water conservation, multicounty water conservation district, or any separate public entity composed of two or more such districts and jointly exercising powers of its member districts. (C) Reserved work The term reserved work means any conduit that is included in project works the care, operation, and maintenance of which has been reserved by the Secretary, through the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. (D) Transferred work The term transferred work means any conduit that is included in project works the care, operation, and maintenance of which has been transferred to a legally organized water users association or irrigation district. (E) Small conduit hydropower The term small conduit hydropower means a facility capable of producing 5 megawatts or less of electric capacity. .

tv_txt: II Calendar No. 68 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 306 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 13, 2013 Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Risch , Mr. Enzi , Mr. Crapo , and Mr. Flake ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources May 13, 2013 Reported by Mr. Wyden , with an amendment Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic A BILL To authorize all Bureau of Reclamation conduit facilities for hydropower development under Federal Reclamation law, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act . 2. Authorization Section 9(c) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 ( 43 U.S.C. 485h(c) ) is amended— (1) by striking The Secretary is authorized to enter into contracts to furnish water and inserting the following: (1) The Secretary is authorized to enter into contracts to furnish water ; (2) by striking (1) shall and inserting (A) shall ; (3) by striking (2) shall and inserting (B) shall ; (4) by striking respecting the terms of sales of electric power and leases of power privileges shall be in addition and alternative to any authority in existing laws relating to particular projects and inserting respecting the sales of electric power and leases of power privileges shall be an authorization in addition to and alternative to any authority in existing laws related to particular projects, including small conduit hydropower development ; and (5) by adding at the end the following: (2) When carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall first offer the lease of power privilege to an irrigation district or water users association operating the applicable transferred work, or to the irrigation district or water users association receiving water from the applicable reserved work. The Secretary shall determine a reasonable time frame for the irrigation district or water users association to accept or reject a lease of power privilege offer. (3) The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) shall not apply to small conduit hydropower development, excluding siting of associated transmission on Federal lands, under this subsection. (4) The Power Resources Office of the Bureau of Reclamation shall be the lead office of small conduit hydropower activities conducted under this subsection. (5) Nothing in this subsection shall obligate the Western Area Power Administration, the Bonneville Power Administration, or the Southwestern Power Administration to purchase or market any of the power produced by the facilities covered under this subsection and none of the costs associated with production or delivery of such power shall be assigned to project purposes for inclusion in project rates. (6) Nothing in this subsection shall alter or impede the delivery and management of water by Bureau of Reclamation facilities, as water used for conduit hydropower generation shall be deemed incidental to use of water for the original project purposes. Lease of power privilege shall be made only when, in the judgment of the Secretary, the exercise of the lease will not be incompatible with the purposes of the project or division involved, nor shall it create any unmitigated financial or physical impacts to the project or division involved, and shall be on such terms and conditions as in the judgment of the Secretary in consultation with the appropriate irrigation district or water users association, will adequately protect the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and other interests of the United States and the project or division involved. (7) Nothing in this subsection shall alter or affect any existing agreements for the development of conduit hydropower projects or disposition of revenues. (8) In this subsection: (A) Conduit The term conduit means any Bureau of Reclamation tunnel, canal, pipeline, aqueduct, flume, ditch, or similar manmade water conveyance that is operated for the distribution of water for agricultural, municipal, or industrial consumption and not primarily for the generation of electricity. (B) Irrigation district The term irrigation district means any irrigation, water conservation, multicounty water conservation district, or any separate public entity composed of two or more such districts and jointly exercising powers of its member districts. (C) Reserved work The term reserved work means any conduit that is included in project works the care, operation, and maintenance of which has been reserved by the Secretary, through the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. (D) Transferred work The term transferred work means any conduit that is included in project works the care, operation, and maintenance of which has been transferred to a legally organized water users association or irrigation district. (E) Small conduit hydropower The term small conduit hydropower means a facility capable of producing 5 megawatts or less of electric capacity. .

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act . 2. Authorization Section 9(c) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 ( 43 U.S.C. 485h(c) ) is amended— (1) by striking The Secretary is authorized to enter into contracts to furnish water and inserting the following: (1) The Secretary is authorized to enter into contracts to furnish water ; (2) by striking (1) shall and inserting (A) shall ; (3) by striking (2) shall and inserting (B) shall ; (4) by striking respecting the terms of sales of electric power and leases of power privileges shall be in addition and alternative to any authority in existing laws relating to particular projects and inserting respecting the sales of electric power and leases of power privileges shall be an authorization in addition to and alternative to any authority in existing laws related to particular projects, including small conduit hydropower development ; and (5) by adding at the end the following: (2) (A) When carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall first offer the lease of power privilege to an irrigation district or water users association operating the applicable transferred conduit, or to the irrigation district or water users association receiving water from the applicable reserved conduit. The Secretary shall determine a reasonable time frame for the irrigation district or water users association to accept or reject a lease of power privilege offer for a small conduit hydropower project. (B) If the irrigation district or water users association elects not accept a lease of power privilege offer under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall offer the lease of power privilege to other parties in accordance with this subsection. (3) The Bureau of Reclamation shall apply its categorical exclusion process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) to small conduit hydropower development under this subsection, excluding siting of associated transmission facilities on Federal lands. (4) The Power Resources Office of the Bureau of Reclamation shall be the lead office of small conduit hydropower policy and procedure-setting activities conducted under this subsection. (5) Nothing in this subsection shall obligate the Western Area Power Administration, the Bonneville Power Administration, or the Southwestern Power Administration to purchase or market any of the power produced by the facilities covered under this subsection and none of the costs associated with production or delivery of such power shall be assigned to project purposes for inclusion in project rates. (6) Nothing in this subsection shall alter or impede the delivery and management of water by Bureau of Reclamation facilities, as water used for conduit hydropower generation shall be deemed incidental to use of water for the original project purposes. Lease of power privilege shall be made only when, in the judgment of the Secretary, the exercise of the lease will not be incompatible with the purposes of the project or division involved, nor shall it create any unmitigated financial or physical impacts to the project or division involved. The Secretary shall notify and consult with the irrigation district or water users association operating the transferred conduit before offering the lease of power privilege and shall prescribe terms and conditions that will adequately protect the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and other interests of the United States and the project or division involved. (7) Nothing in this subsection shall alter or affect any existing agreements for the development of conduit hydropower projects or disposition of revenues. (8) Nothing in this subsection shall alter or affect any existing preliminary permit, license, or exemption issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission under Part I of the Federal Power Act ( 16 U.S.C. 792 et seq. ) or any project for which an application has been filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as of the date of the enactment of the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act. (9) In this subsection: (A) Conduit The term conduit means any Bureau of Reclamation tunnel, canal, pipeline, aqueduct, flume, ditch, or similar manmade water conveyance that is operated for the distribution of water for agricultural, municipal, or industrial consumption and not primarily for the generation of electricity. (B) Irrigation district The term irrigation district means any irrigation, water conservation or conservancy, multicounty water conservation or conservancy district, or any separate public entity composed of two or more such districts and jointly exercising powers of its member districts. (C) Reserved conduit The term reserved conduit means any conduit that is included in project works the care, operation, and maintenance of which has been reserved by the Secretary, through the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. (D) Transferred conduit The term transferred conduit means any conduit that is included in project works the care, operation, and maintenance of which has been transferred to a legally organized water users association or irrigation district. (E) Small conduit hydropower The term small conduit hydropower means a facility capable of producing 5 megawatts or less of electric capacity. .

May 13, 2013 Reported with an amendment