Sec. 6. Promoting hydropower development at nonpowered dams and closed loop pumped storage projects
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To improve the regulatory process and reduce delays and costs for hydropower development at nonpowered dams and closed loop pumped storage projects, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (referred to in this section as the Commission ) shall investigate the feasibility of the issuance of a license for hydropower development at nonpowered dams and closed loop pumped storage projects in a 2-year period (referred to in this section as a 2-year process ). Such a 2-year process shall include any prefiling licensing process of the Commission.
The Commission shall— not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, hold an initial workshop to solicit public comment and recommendations on how to implement a 2-year process; develop criteria for identifying projects featuring hydropower development at nonpowered dams and closed loop pumped storage projects that may be appropriate for licensing within a 2-year process; not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, develop and implement pilot projects to test a 2-year process, if practicable; and not later than 3 years after the date of implementation of the final pilot project testing a 2-year process, hold a final workshop to solicit public comment on the effectiveness of each tested 2-year process.
The Commission shall, to the extent practicable, enter into a memorandum of understanding with any applicable Federal or State agency to implement a pilot project described in subsection (b). If the Commission determines that no pilot project described in subsection
(b)is practicable because no 2-year process is practicable, not later than 240 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that— describes the public comments received as part of the initial workshop held under subsection (b)(1); and identifies the process, legal, environmental, economic, and other issues that justify the determination of the Commission that no 2-year process is practicable, with recommendations on how Congress may address or remedy the identified issues. If the Commission develops and implements pilot projects involving a 2-year process, not later than 60 days after the date of completion of the final workshop held under subsection (b)(4), the Commission shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that— describes the outcomes of the pilot projects; describes the public comments from the final workshop on the effectiveness of each tested 2-year process; and outlines how the Commission will adopt policies under existing law (including regulations) that result in a 2-year process for appropriate projects; outlines how the Commission will issue new regulations to adopt a 2-year process for appropriate projects; or identifies the process, legal, environmental, economic, and other issues that justify a determination of the Commission that no 2-year process is practicable, with recommendations on how Congress may address or remedy the identified issues.