HR3657-119

What This Bill Does

The Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act adds a new annual licensing status report to the Federal Power Act. Within 180 days after enactment, and every year after that, FERC must report to Congress on hydropower licensing processes that have been pending for at least three years after a notice of intent. The report must cover new licenses and subsequent licenses for which sections 14 and 15 have been waived when an existing licensee notified FERC under section 15(b)(1), and original section 4(e) licenses when a citizen, association, corporation, state, Indian Tribe, or municipality notified FERC under applicable regulations. For each covered process, FERC must provide the notice date, docket number, whether an application has been filed, application status, anticipated issuance date, upcoming proceedings or meetings, and ongoing or completed actions required of licensees, applicants, FERC, fish and wildlife agencies, and other agencies. The information must be disaggregated by new license, subsequent license, and original license.

Who Benefits and How

Hydropower licensees seeking new licenses, hydropower applicants seeking original licenses, state energy agencies, Indian Tribes applying for hydropower licenses, municipal hydropower applicants, hydropower developers, Congress, House energy oversight staff, Senate energy oversight staff, and fish and wildlife agencies benefit because the bill exposes where delayed licensing processes stand, what actions remain, when FERC expects issuance, and which agencies or applicants still have work outstanding.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC hydropower licensing staff, existing hydropower licensees, new hydropower applicants, fish and wildlife agencies, state agencies, Indian Tribes, municipalities, corporations seeking licenses, and other permitting agencies bear burdens because they must supply status information, track docket and meeting details, document completed and ongoing actions, and face recurring congressional visibility into licensing delays.

Key Provisions

• Requires FERC to submit the first hydropower licensing status report within 180 days.
• Requires annual reports after the first report.
• Covers delayed new, subsequent, and original hydropower license processes with notices at least three years old.
• Requires docket, application, expected issuance, proceeding, meeting, and action-status details.
• Requires information to be disaggregated by new license, subsequent license, and original license.