To extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project.

Mr. Speaker, my legislation would provide a much-needed ``commencement of construction'' extension to the FERC permit for the Enloe Dam Hydroelectric Project located in my Central Washington district.

The Enloe Project is located at the existing Enloe Dam in the Similkameen River Valley, which is situated approximately four miles upriver of the City of Oroville. The original dam was constructed by BLM in 1920 for power generation but operations ceased in 1958 when the Bonneville Power Administration extended a high-voltage transmission line into the Okanogan Valley.

However, since 1958 the dam and its related power-generating facilities have sat dormant and the Okanogan Public Utility District (``District'') is now working on the proposed project to re-energize this infrastructure for hydropower development, as well as to relocate the site to the opposite bank, which offers numerous environmental and construction advantages.

The proposed 9 megawatt hydropower facility has faced several setbacks and regulatory hurdles, which have been addressed but have also delayed progress. However, despite these challenges the District has made considerable progress in fulfilling all of the pre- construction obligations contained in its FERC license.

H.R. 2828 would ensure this critical hydropower project can move forward and provide important renewable energy generation to the region. The Enloe Project makes economic and environmental sense, as it will convert currently untapped energy in existing flow releases into clean, carbon-neutral energy. Additionally, the Project will have a footprint that is roughly half the size of the existing facility but will provide approximately three times the generating capacity of the decommissioned plant.

Completion of the Project will provide Washingtonians and the Pacific Northwest region with a clean, renewable energy resource that generates an estimated 45,000 megawatt hours per year of carbon-free, renewable power. Further, the proposed project will create jobs and needed employment opportunities in a region with an unemployment rate that far exceeds the national average, underscoring the many positive benefits this project will have for the local community, state, and region.

This important legislation will allow for development of this critical hydropower facility to move forward under a realistic regulatory timeline and in a manner consistent with prior congressional actions on similar projects.

By passing this measure and extending the ``commencement of construction'' deadline for the Enloe Project, Congress can help spur hydropower development in Central Washington and ensure the Project's many benefits are realized, which will have a lasting impact on the region's energy supply and economic viability.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2828) to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2828, introduced by the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse). This bill will authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, to extend the time period during which a licensee is required to commence construction of a hydroelectric project.

Back on July 9, 2013, FERC issued a license for the Public Utility District Number 1 of Okanogan County, Washington's proposed 9-megawatt Enloe hydroelectric project. This project will be located at the existing Enloe Dam on the Similkameen River near the city of Oroville, Washington.

The license requires the licensee to commence construction of the project within 2 years of the issuance date of the license, or by July 9, 2015. At the licensee's request, FERC has already granted the maximum allowable 2-year extension, thus making the construction deadline July 9, 2017.

Development of the Enloe project has experienced setbacks that have complicated the licensee's ability to meet the deadline. This bill, H.R. 2828, would authorize FERC to reinstate the license and issue up to three consecutive 2-year extensions to commence construction.

This bill is consistent with prior congressional actions and FERC's longstanding policy limiting the maximum allowable extension to 10 years from the issuance date of the license.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues again to support this bill, on a bipartisan basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us sponsored by the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Newhouse) would authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend, up to 6 years, the date by which the licensee for the Enloe Dam hydropower project, No. 12569, is required to commence construction. This is necessary because the project's licensee is not likely to commence construction by the designated deadline.

Under the Federal Power Act, Mr. Speaker, FERC is unable to further extend that deadline administratively, so action by the Congress is required. In the event the license expires before this legislation is enacted, the bill contains language reinstating the license as of its date of expiration.

FERC has no objection, Mr. Speaker, to this piece of legislation, and neither do I, and I hope that my colleagues will support the passage of