To provide that in preparing an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement required under section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to any action authorizing a renewable energy project, no Federal agency is required to identify alternative project locations or actions other than the proposed action and the no action alternative, and for other purposes.

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4513 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

2d Session
H. R. 4513

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 17, 2004

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and
Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

AN ACT

To provide that in preparing an environmental assessment or
environmental impact statement required under section 102 of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to any action
authorizing a renewable energy project, no Federal agency is required
to identify alternative project locations or actions other than the
proposed action and the no action alternative, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS.

(a) Compliance With NEPA for Renewable Energy Projects.--
Notwithstanding any other law, in preparing an environmental assessment
or environmental impact statement required under section 102 of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332) with respect
to any action authorizing a renewable energy project under the
jurisdiction of a Federal agency--
(1) no Federal agency is required to identify alternative
project locations or actions other than the proposed action and
the no action alternative; and
(2) no Federal agency is required to analyze the
environmental effects of alternative locations or actions other
than those submitted by the project proponent.
(b) Consideration of Alternatives.--In any environmental assessment
or environmental impact statement referred to in subsection (a), the
Federal agency shall only identify and analyze the environmental
effects and potential mitigation measures of--
(1) the proposed action; and
(2) the no action alternative.
(c) Public Comment.--In preparing an environmental assessment or
environmental impact statement referred to in subsection (a), the
Federal agency shall only consider public comments that specifically
address the preferred action and that are filed within 20 days after
publication of a draft environmental assessment or draft environmental
impact statement. Notwithstanding any other law, compliance with this
subsection is deemed to satisfy section 102(2) of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)) and the applicable
regulations and administrative guidelines with respect to proposed
renewable energy projects.
(d) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term ``renewable
energy project''--
(1) means any proposal to utilize an energy source other
than nuclear power, coal, oil, or natural gas; and
(2) includes but is not be limited to the use of wind,
solar, geothermal, or tidal forces to generate energy.

Passed the House of Representatives June 15, 2004.

Attest:

JEFF TRANDAHL,

Clerk.