Laserfiche WebLink
S. 3021-99 <br />(1) the date by which the licensee or exemptee is required <br />to commence construction; or <br />(2) the date of any extension of the deadline under para- <br />graph (1). <br />SEC. 3002. QUALIFYING CONDUIT HYDROPOWER FACILITIES. <br />Section 30(a) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 823a(a)) <br />is amended— <br />(1) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking "45 days" and inserting <br />"30 days"; and <br />(2) in paragraph (3)(C)(ii), by striking "5" and inserting <br />"40". <br />SEC. 3003. PROMOTING HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT AT EXISTING <br />NONPOWERED DAMS. <br />Part I of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 792 et seq.) is <br />amended by adding at the end the following: <br />"SEC. 34. PROMOTING HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT AT EXISTING <br />NONPOWERED DAMS. <br />"(a) EXPEDITED LICENSING PROCESS FOR NON-FEDERAL HYDRO- <br />POWER PROJECTS AT EXISTING NONPOWERED DAMS.— <br />"(1) IN GENERAL. —As provided in this section, the Commis- <br />sion may issue and amend licenses, as appropriate, for any <br />facility the Commission determines is a qualifying facility. <br />"(2) RULE. —Not later than 180 days after the date of enact- <br />ment of this section, the Commission shall issue a rule estab- <br />lishing an expedited process for issuing and amending licenses <br />for qualifying facilities under this section. <br />"(3) INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE. — <br />"(A) In establishing the expedited process under this <br />section, the Commission shall convene an interagency task <br />force, with appropriate Federal and State agencies and <br />Indian tribes represented, to coordinate the regulatory proc- <br />esses associated with the authorizations required to con- <br />struct and operate a qualifying facility. <br />"(B) The task force shall develop procedures that are <br />consistent with subsection (e)(1)(E) to seek to ensure that, <br />for projects licensed pursuant to this section, the Commis- <br />sion and appropriate Federal and State agencies and Indian <br />tribes shall exercise their authorities in a manner that, <br />to the extent practicable, will not result in any material <br />change to the storage, release, or flow operations of the <br />associated nonpowered dam existing at the time an <br />applicant files its license application. <br />"(4) LENGTH OF PROCESS. —The Commission shall seek to <br />ensure that the expedited process under this section will result <br />in a final decision on an application for a license by not later <br />than 2 years after receipt of a completed application for the <br />license. <br />"(b) DAM SAFETY.— <br />"(1) ASSESSMENT. —Before issuing any license for a quali- <br />fying facility, the Commission shall assess the safety of existing <br />nnn-Forlor€ 1 ,1. rnC Qnrl nilior nnn-Fnranro1 C+r11r+11r.G' rol9+orl <br />