Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 2910.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2910, the Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act, introduced by my colleague and friend from Texas (Mr. Flores).

I want to congratulate him for his work on this very important piece of legislation that, in fact, will streamline the permit process for the building of energy infrastructure, which will strengthen our economy, create the jobs that we want, and, in fact, increase our energy security. Very important.

This bill is going to address the critical need to expand and modernize the Nation's natural gas pipeline infrastructure by promoting a more timely and efficient review.

Mr. Chairman, by establishing FERC as the lead agency, this bill is going to bring greater certainty, accountability, and transparency to the siting process for interstate natural gas pipelines. Unfortunately, many important projects have been delayed unnecessarily while waiting for permits from participating agencies, and when siting a pipeline project, multiple permits are always required, permits under the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act.

So FERC often coordinates with a variety of Federal, State, and local governments and Indian Tribes to balance a wide range of issues, including the potential impacts on environmental and wildlife resources, land use, and, of course, property rights.

This bill is going to improve the permitting process by strengthening the lead agency role of FERC in further defining the process for participating in Federal and State agencies, and the intent of these provisions is to involve stakeholders sooner so that they can be involved in the setting of the schedule and identify issues of concern earlier in the process.

Further, the legislation requires that agencies conduct their respective reviews concurrently and in conjunction with the project- related review conducted by FERC in compliance with NEPA--in compliance with NEPA.

To be clear, we are not skipping steps, we are just saying that one part of the process shouldn't hold up the entire project if progress can be made on other required permits.

So this bill is going to encourage more timely and efficient reviews, a more robust and reliable energy pipeline system, more affordable energy prices for every American.

Mr. Chair, I congratulate the gentleman from Texas, who has brought this bill before us through the committee process.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds.

Mr. Chairman, there is a reason why the parliamentarians ruled that the amendments on eminent domain are not applicable here: because they are not germane. Eminent domain is not part of this bill. In fact, the underlying natural gas act requires that eminent domain proceedings, ``shall conform as nearly as may be with the practice and procedure in similar action or proceedings in the courts of the State where the property is situated.''

This doesn't change that, and that is why those eminent domain amendments were not made in order.

Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Flores), the sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar).

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 30 seconds.

I include in the Record three letters in support. The National Electrical

Contractors Association has a letter of support. The National Taxpayers Union has a letter of support, as well as the National Association of Manufacturers.

National Electrical

Contractors Association,

Bethesda, MD, July 18, 2017.

Hon. Paul Ryan,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Speaker Ryan: On behalf of the National Electrical

Contractors Association (NECA), I am writing in strong

support of H.R. 2883, Promoting Cross-Border Energy

Infrastructure Act which would establish a more uniform and

transparent approval process for the construction,

connection, operation, or maintenance of oil or natural gas

pipelines or electric transmission facilities for the import

or export of oil, natural gas, or electricity. NECA also

supports H.R. 2910, Promoting Interagency Coordination for

Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act, which would help address

the need to modernize the nation's natural gas pipeline

infrastructure by promoting more timely and efficient reviews

by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). NECA

believes these critical pieces of legislation will facilitate

construction projects along the United States' borders and

encourage energy independence.

NECA is the nationally recognized voice of the $130 billion

electrical construction industry that brings power, light,

and communication technology to buildings and communities

across the U.S. NECA's national office and its 119 local

chapters are dedicated to enhancing the industry through

continuing education, labor relations, safety codes,

standards development, and government relations. NECA is

committed to advocating for a comprehensive energy policy

that addresses all available opportunities for energy

exploration and independence.

By establishing a more concrete process for the approval of

construction projects to import oil, natural gas, and

electricity, this legislation would create more jobs in the

construction industry while working towards America's energy

independence. Construction along the U.S. border to import

oil, natural gas, and electricity will greatly enhance our

nation's energy security and promote energy independence. It

is clear Congress plays a critical role in streamlining the

approval process and enacting policies that support approval

and construction of energy infrastructure projects. The

benefits of these projects are clear: job creation, energy

security, energy independence, and economic growth; such

construction is in the national interest. NECA strongly

endorses H.R. 2883 and H.R. 2910 and believes that these

bills will deliver many benefits to our nation.

Sincerely,

Marco A. Giamberardino, MPA,

Executive Director, Government Affairs.

Mr. Chairman, might I inquire if the gentlewoman has any further speakers.

Mr. Chairman, I have no more speakers at this point, so I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Again, this streamlines the process. There are still no shortcuts that are here. We require that the agencies work concurrently with each other. At the end of the day, we know that pipelines are literally the safest way to transport whatever it is, oil, gas, to the consumers, and at a lower cost. It is safer and, obviously, helps the most vulnerable with lower costs.

We have literally millions of miles of pipelines. And I would note that we passed major, major bipartisan legislation in several Congresses--it was bipartisan, it was overwhelmingly bipartisan--that President Obama signed into law increasing the safety standards and fines for any new pipelines that are built. Those laws, obviously, stay on the books.

Again, I would urge my colleagues to vote for the bill. I look forward to the debate on a couple of the amendments.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I would just note that all current reviews that we do now for pipeline siting, they all remain in place. None of it goes away. Those same reviews take place.

The gentlewoman's amendment, in our view, is unnecessary because nothing in this legislation would limit environmental protections or affect laws that govern the multiple use of our public lands.

Pipelines, we know, as I said earlier, are the safest, most efficient way to transport energy supplies. The overwhelming majority of Americans strongly support modernizing our infrastructure, including pipelines, to ensure stable, affordable supplies. And I would note, we have millions of miles of pipelines across the country.

So what is the alternative if you don't have a pipeline?

Well, it is going to be more expensive and, frankly, the accident record is not perfect either. It includes rail or truck, often at a higher cost, which then is passed along to those consumers, impacting the most vulnerable the most.

Infrastructure modernization and job growth go hand in hand with environmental and natural resource protection. Investing in our infrastructure is a smart investment for energy security, job growth, manufacturing, and creating the jobs that we want.

Maintaining and expanding these economywide benefits is dependent on a transparent and a predictable regulatory approval of infrastructure projects. That is what the underlying bill does.

This amendment, however, we would view as a step backward. I would urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I again remind my colleagues to oppose the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to start out by saying that we are prepared to accept the amendment. I know that all of us here take pipeline safety very seriously, and certainly since my chairmanship of the Energy and Commerce Committee, we put safety at the forefront of our efforts to modernize our pipeline infrastructure. We passed two major bills that President Obama signed, and I think there may have been maybe a single Member that opposed that legislation over the years, but we care a lot about that.

In the last Congress, we passed the PIPES Act and the FAST Act. Again, major bipartisan initiatives that Mr. Pallone and I worked out that got to President Obama's desk. Each of these two bills took important steps to update our laws to protect against emerging physical attacks as well as cyber attacks, threats to the grid, in our energy delivery systems, including pipelines.

We know that multiple Federal and State agencies have a role to play and an opportunity to lead with that expertise. While the Department of Energy is the lead sector-specific agency for cybersecurity and for the energy sector, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, PHMSA, is responsible for administrating minimum pipeline safety standards, and the TSA, the Transportation Security Administration, does monitor threats to our transportation sector. I think that is where the gentleman from Massachusetts is coming from with this amendment.

The amendment, I have got to say, appears to be consistent with current law, while a rigid consultation requirement could end up resulting in delays if the TSA is not able to consult in a timely manner, but, again, the language is ``consult.'' I would hope that that would happen.

The amendment also appears to address pipeline facilities, but it is not clear whether it includes LNG as an example. Given the overlapping nature of Federal and State jurisdiction over pipeline safety, we want to make sure that we are doing it right and that we have got all the tools in the toolbox to make sure that that happens and we don't wonder what would have happened without this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I appreciate the gentleman's amendment. We are ready to work with him, but certainly, at this point, ready to accept the amendment.

I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. Chair, reclaiming my time, it is my understanding, I believe, that a GAO report has been requested by some of our friends on both sides of the aisle, and we welcome the completion of that report and are anxious to see the result.

Mr. Chairman, again, I am prepared to accept the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, FERC is the lead agency for siting interstate natural gas pipelines. We all know that. But there are a number of other Federal and State agencies that also have to issue associated permits for large-scale projects.

Through the FERC prefile process, sponsors engage with landowners, local communities, and government agencies to educate stakeholders and collect the information about the best location for siting that pipeline.

The underlying bill, H.R. 2910, brings much-needed certainty and transparency to the process by encouraging the stakeholders to participate in good faith early in the process. Unfortunately, this amendment, the way that we read it, would create more uncertainty and create more opportunities for delays.

The overwhelming majority of Americans strongly support expanding the infrastructure. Creating the jobs, the pipelines, ensures stable and affordable supplies. Flexibility, affordable, and reliable energy is important for American families and businesses to thrive.

I would note, at this point we still don't have a quorum with FERC, and we want that to change. That will be an issue that goes through the confirmation process in the Senate, but consumers really only benefit from domestic energy if we can get it to them.

Investing in infrastructure is a smart investment, so I would urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 2883.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 4 minutes.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2883, the Promoting Cross-Border Energy Infrastructure Act.

This legislation continues the great tradition of bipartisan legislation coming out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Our focus has been and will continue to be building America's infrastructure, creating jobs, and strengthening our economy.

I want to congratulate my colleagues and sponsors of this bill, particularly Mr. Mullin and Mr. Gene Green, Republican and Democrat, for their work on this legislation.

H.R. 2883 would establish coordinated procedures to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and natural gas, and the transmission of electricity. That is what the bill does.

The legislation would replace the requirements established under executive order that persons obtain a Presidential permit before constructing an oil and gas pipeline or electric transmission facility that crosses the border between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

To date, Congress has not asserted its authority to establish proceedings for permitting cross-border energy infrastructure. In the absence of a statutorily directed process, agencies have made decisions regarding cross-border energy infrastructure within the context of their interpretation of a series of executive orders dating back to the 1950s.

Recent proposals, most notably the Keystone XL pipeline, have faced significant and unnecessary delays as a result of political interference in what should have been a straightforward review. There is bipartisan agreement that we should have a free flow of energy in North America.

This bill is going to level the playing field for energy infrastructure projects located at the international border. The legislation takes important steps to bring fairness to the process and provide certainty to countries whom we already have a free trade agreement with and businesses that want to create jobs in the U.S. It is going to strengthen our effort to improve and update NAFTA and enhance our trilateral trading relationships.

It is time Congress exercised its constitutional authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations and replace the Presidential permit requirement with a more transparent, efficient, and effective review process.

Establishing the cross-border permitting process in law would lead to more objective and timely decisions, which, in turn, is going to create the jobs, strengthen our Nation's energy security, and support affordable and reliable energy for all Americans.

Again, I want to thank my colleagues for their efforts on this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2786) to amend the Federal Power Act with respect to the criteria and process to qualify as a qualifying conduit hydropower facility, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 2786, introduced by my two colleagues, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson) and the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette), has always been a bipartisan bill. It amends the Federal Power Act to promote renewable energy from small conduit hydropower facilities.

The bill would encourage the generation of electricity from existing manmade conduits operated for the distribution of water for agriculture, municipal, or industrial consumption.

I would note that Congress established qualifying conduit exemptions under the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013. This bill, H.R. 2786, builds on that law to provide benefits to a greater range of conduit hydropower projects. This bill, in fact, will shorten the review period and allow larger conduit projects to be eligible for exemption from certain listing requirements.

I know of no serious objections to the bill. It is bipartisan, as it should be. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson), the original author of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to comment briefly on the remarks by my two colleagues.

This is an important bill, and for those of us who have always supported all of the above, whether it be renewable or safe nuclear, all those different things, hydro is part of that mix.

I would just note that I had a question yesterday morning. I did a big Farm Bureau breakfast in my district, and the question about hydropower came up. Just like my friend from Colorado talks about the most important bill in Colorado, this is an important bill.

It is also important that we work together to get this bill done so that the Senate can follow suit. I urge my colleagues to vote for this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3050) to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide Federal financial assistance to States to implement, review, and revise State energy security plans, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill. It really is. This bill, H.R. 3050, is a bipartisan bill introduced by myself and by my good friend and colleague across the aisle, Mr. Rush. It is bipartisan.

This bill reauthorizes the State Energy Program and it strengthens our

energy emergency planning and preparedness efforts in a big-time way. This bill builds upon the Energy and Commerce Committee's impressive record of hearings and legislation focused on energy security, emergency preparedness, job creation, and infrastructure protection and resilience.

Across the country, States have to respond to a variety of hazards, including hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fuel supply disruptions, physical and, yes, cyber threats, too. This legislation provides States with tools in the toolbox so that they have flexibility that they need to address local energy challenges.

It ensures that State energy security planning efforts address fuel supply issues, assess State energy profiles, address potential hazards to each energy sector. It mitigates risk to enhance reliability and incorporate regional planning efforts.

Let's face it, the consumer at home, businesses trying to put out a product, they want to make sure that the electricity is on. They don't care what the excuse is. They want it on.

This bill makes significant strides to protect our Nation's fuel and electric infrastructure from physical and cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. It makes sure that we are thinking ahead not just about the actual threat, but, in fact, how our energy and electric systems might be vulnerable in a broader sense.

The bill also encourages mutual assistance, an essential part of responding and restoring in the event of an energy emergency. Teamwork: prioritizing and elevating energy security planning and emergency preparedness is, yes, an important step in the face of increased threats, vulnerabilities, and interdependencies of energy infrastructure and end-use systems.

This bill is important and is going to get to the President's desk in a bipartisan way. Again, I thank my good friend and colleague for his help in getting this bill through our committee and here to the House floor.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), former chairman and now vice chairman of the influential and powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, coming from the good State of Texas versus the great State of Michigan.

(Mr. BARTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude by saying that I thank the gentleman from Texas for his remarks. It was an important amendment. God help us if something happens in our country because of a physical or cyber attack. And if it does, we always wonder and ask the questions: What do we do?

This is a step in advance to make sure that, in fact, we do have, as I said earlier, the tools in the toolbox to try and prevent such a travesty from happening that would impact the Nation in a major way. So it is important that this legislation pass this afternoon; that the Senate take it up as quickly as they can; that the President sign it; and that it then gets implemented to protect all of our citizens from East to West, to North, to South. It is an important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, so this is a jobs bill. And those who know me know that I have a long record of supporting innovation when it comes to research and development of new drugs and devices.

That is why I was proud to help author the 21st Century Cures Act with my Democratic colleague Diana DeGette. This bill broke down the barriers for research and development, put a greater focus on patient- centered care, and gave billions in resources to the National Institutes of Health.

President Obama signed our bill into law at the end of 2016. It marked a truly great victory for both patients and researchers across the country. And now that Cures is law, we have got to make sure that the FDA is able to handle the new breakthrough treatments in a timely and predictable fashion, all while still maintaining the highest levels of patient safety. That is why this agreement is so important.

My district in southwest Michigan has literally thousands of jobs on the line that are affected by this legislation, and whether it is on the drug side at Pfizer, or the device side at Stryker, or the generic side at Perrigo--all in my district--passing this legislation is vital to those good-paying local jobs, as well as to the patients who will benefit from the new therapies that get those products to market.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 446) 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 to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 446.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 446 authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, upon request, to extend by 6 years the time period during which construction must commence on the Gathright Hydroelectric Project located in Alleghany County, Virginia. Additionally, FERC may reinstate the construction license if it is expired.

A similar bill was passed under suspension of the rules in the 114th Congress in a bipartisan way, and I would hope that we can do it today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 447) 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 to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 447.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, upon request, to extend by 6 years the time period during which construction must commence on the Flannagan Dam and Reservoir Hydroelectric Project located in Dickenson County, Virginia. Additionally, FERC may reinstate the construction license if it is expired.

The bill, again, passed under suspension in the 114th Congress, and I would hope that we could do the same today in a bipartisan way.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 627) to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide for the dissemination of information regarding available Federal programs relating to energy efficiency projects for schools, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 627.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 627, is an important bill that would help the Nation's schools make use of existing Federal programs to actually reduce their energy use. There currently are a number of such programs that help schools undertake projects that improve energy efficiency. Unfortunately, school districts don't always have the know- how to navigate the complexities

of the Federal system and take full advantage of these programs.

The bill creates a simple one-stop shop to get all the needed information and help school districts participate more fully in these programs. The bottom line is that the Nation's schools will, in fact, reduce their energy costs.

As it is, energy use in American K-12 schools totals $6 billion every year, and reducing this figure can certainly save taxpayer dollars or free up funds that schools can use on things other than energy bills.

This bill, H.R. 627, has no cost since it merely sets up a system under which existing school energy efficiency programs can work better.

A similar bill was passed under suspension of the rules at the end of the last Congress, and I would hope that we can do it today, at the beginning of this Congress, so that the Senate can follow suit and get this to the President's desk.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support this great, bipartisan bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 951) 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 in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 951, introduced by the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), the distinguished chair of the Education and the Workforce Committee, authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, to extend up to 6 years the time period during which construction must commence on the W. Kerr Scott Hydropower Project located on the Yadkin River in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Additionally, FERC may reinstate the construction license if it is expired.

A similar bill was passed under suspension in the last Congress, and I hope that we can pass it again today, urging the Senate to take this legislation up.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).

Mr. Speaker, this is important legislation, and I would like to think that we can pass it again this afternoon.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1109) to amend section 203 of the Federal Power Act.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 1109, is, again, a bipartisan bill introduced by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg). It was reported by unanimous consent from the Energy and Commerce Committee. It amends the Federal Power Act with respect to the prohibition regarding mergers or consolidations by a public utility.

Any merger or consolidation of a public utility whose value exceeds $10 million must first be authorized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In addition, FERC is required to promulgate a rule within 180 days that mandates any public utility seeking to merge or consolidate to notify FERC within 30 days of transaction consummation if the value of such merger or consolidation exceeds $1 million but, in fact, is less than $10 million.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), the author of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2122) to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving Jennings Randolph Dam.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 2122, was introduced by the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley), and it authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, upon request, to extend by 6 years the time period during which construction must commence on the Jennings Randolph Hydroelectric Project, which is located on the North Branch of the Potomac River in Garrett County, Maryland, and Mineral County, West Virginia. Additionally, FERC may reinstate the construction license if it has expired.

A similar bill passed under suspension in the 114th Congress, so I hope that we can pass it again today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2274) to amend the Federal Power Act to provide for extended periods relating to preliminary permits and commencement of construction, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 2274, was introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters), and it was passed by unanimous consent by the Energy and Commerce Committee.

The bill, H.R. 2274, amends the Federal Power Act to allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, to extend periods relating to preliminary permits and commencement of construction of hydroelectric projects.

This bill is a commonsense bill, bipartisan, and I would hope that all Members would join me in supporting it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2292) to extend a project of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission involving the Cannonsville Dam.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

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

This bill, H.R. 2292, was introduced by Mr. Faso from New York, and the bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, upon request, to extend by 8 years the time period during which construction must commence on the Cannonsville hydroelectric project-- which is located on the west branch of the Delaware River in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York.

The city of New York was granted a construction license for the Cannonsville hydroelectric project on May 13, 2014. Additionally, FERC may reinstate the construction license if it is expired. The bill was reported by unanimous consent from the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I support its passage on the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Faso).

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2457) to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of certain hydroelectric projects, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2457, as amended. This bill was introduced by Mr. Johnson from Louisiana and was reported by unanimous consent from the Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill, H.R. 2457, authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, to extend the time period during which a licensee is required to commence the construction of Commission project numbers 12756, 12757, and 12758 for up to three consecutive 2-year periods.

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage all Members to join me and support passage of this bill, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I echo the words from my good friend from Colorado. Hydro is an important renewable energy source, and it is one that supports all of the above. It is an increasing force across the country so that is why these bills are so important, and it also shows why they are so bipartisan.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.