Energy Committee Passes two important bills that address aging federal water facilities and increase hydropower development at Bureau of Reclamation facilities.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) praised the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s unanimous passage of two important water bills, the bipartisan Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act (S. 1800) and the Bureau of Reclamation Conduit Hydropower Development Equity and Jobs Act (S. 2010).
S. 1800 was introduced by Senators Barrasso and Brian Schatz (D-HI) last December to help improve aging water delivery systems and Bureau of Reclamation facilities across the country.
S. 2010 was introduced by Senator Barrasso in February and is the companion bill to Representative Steve Daines’ (R-MT) bill (H.R. 1963). Their bill eliminates Washington red tape that currently prevents conduit hydropower development at eleven Bureau of Reclamation projects in the West. This bill would help pave the way for non-federal hydro-power development on all facets of these projects, including dams.
“Both of the bills that passed out of Committee today will go a long way in ensuring Wyoming and the entire inter-mountain West have a clean, abundant supply of water and electricity,” said Sen. Barrasso. “With today’s vote, we’re now one step closer to having the information we need to update and repair our aging Bureau of Reclamation facilities. I also want to thank Representative Daines for working with me to finish the job of developing all our renewable small hydropower resources at these facilities. I look forward to the full Senate passing both of these important bills as soon as possible.”
“This is common sense legislation that balances energy development with responsible stewardship of our natural resources,” said Rep. Daines. “By cutting senseless barriers to hydropower development, we can help create good-paying jobs in our rural communities while also lowering energy costs for consumers. Hydropower is an important part of an all-of-the-above energy development policy that will create American jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”
"The dam and reservoir facilities that are operated by the Bureau of Reclamation are of critical importance to our society,” said Wyoming Water Development Commission Director Harry LaBonde. “They provide water for irrigation, municipal, and industrial uses as well as providing secondary benefits such as flood protection and recreational use. It is imperative that these water resource infrastructure systems be maintained so that they can continue to provide life sustaining benefits to future generations in this country."
Background on Barrasso’s Bipartisan Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act (S. 1800):
The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) is responsible for maintaining water delivery systems—including reservoirs, canals, etc. throughout the West. A majority of these systems are over 50 years old and in need of repair. Despite repeated requests made by Senator Barrasso, the Department of Interior has failed to provide adequate details on the depth and scope of our maintenance backlog at BOR facilities.
The Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act would force the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to do an Infrastructure Needs Assessment Report every two years as part of the BOR’s existing Asset Management Plan reporting process. The report would be available to the public on BOR’s webpage. The report would standardize and streamline data reporting and processes across BOR regions and areas for the purpose of maintaining reserved works at Reclamation facilities. The new report would include:
1)A detailed assessment of major repair and rehabilitation needs for all reserved works at all Reclamation projects.
2)A detailed list of major repair and rehabilitation needs of individual Reclamation facilities at each Reclamation project.
3)A budget level cost estimate of the appropriations needed to complete each item.
4)An assignment of a categorical rating for each item to determine the immediacy of the repair.
The bill establishes a similar reporting system for BOR transferred works (these are projects owned by BOR, but managed by non-federal entities). That reporting system would be created after consultation with the non-federal entities managing those transferred works.
Background on Barrasso-Daines Bureau of Reclamation Conduit Hydropower Development Equity and Jobs Act (S. 2010):
Earlier this year, the House and Senate passed S. 306/H.R. 678 (Barrasso/Tipton) to promote conduit hydropower development at Reclamation facilities. S. 306/H.R. 678 applied to hundreds of Reclamation facilities that are covered under the authorities of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939.
The Barrasso-Daines bill (S. 2010) applies to the remaining 11 Reclamation facilities, all of which are governed under the different and more complex authorities and terms of the Water Conservation and Utilization Act (WCUA) of 1939. The bill specifically removes statutory impediments by authorizing non-federal hydropower development at these conduits and provides administrative and regulatory reforms necessary to foster such development.
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