International Water Power and Dam Construction News
Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) has introduced the Small-Scale Hydropower Enhancement Act (H.R. 5922), a bill designed to encourage and promote efforts to produce more hydropower from smaller sources.
The bill - introduced during a Natural Resources Water and Power Subcommittee hearing on hydropower- would exempt any conduit-type hydropower project generating less than one and a half megawatt from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) jurisdiction. It would also require the Bureau of Reclamation to examine its facilities for more conduit generation opportunities using existing funding.
"One-size-fits-all federal regulations make small scale hydropower projects throughout the country financially prohibitive by imposing unnecessary and outdated rules. My bill would help stimulate the economy of rural America, empower local irrigation districts to generate revenue, and decrease reliance on fossil fuels - all at no cost to the taxpayer," Smith said.
News of Smith’s bill comes just a few weeks after US Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced two pieces of legislation aimed at increasing the production of hydroelectricity in the country – the Hydropower Improvement Act and the Hydropower Renewable Energy Development Act.
Related Articles: US Senator introduces bills to boost hydro generation
1 comment:
How about revising the “Bill” a little to overcome some of your fears you apparently have; add in a section that would allow Hydrokinetic Energy to be included within the framework and “Streamlined Regulations from FERC” where no damming of any water flow (or conduit) or restrictive flow (other than at the point of generation which is strictly temporary to that specific site) would be introduced for the production of Energy on an individual basis per unit of 1.5MW or less? We have developed a very simple, non-intrusive, environmentally friendly, Marine friendly and submerged system just for such applications but getting it past all the gate-keepers can make introduction and needed development a nightmare of entangled regulations. There are simpler ways to do these things. Can you help with solutions, not just identify a problem?
daveb@globalenergiesinc.com
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