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To provide for operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System pursuant to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill would require the Secretaries of Interior, Energy, and Army to operate the Federal Columbia River Power System in accordance with a September 2020 Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision. The Secretaries could amend the operation plan only if all three agree that amendments are necessary for public safety or grid reliability, or if the current operations are no longer warranted. The bill prohibits any structural modifications, studies, or plans that would restrict electrical generation at FCRPS hydroelectric dams or limit Snake River navigation unless specifically authorized by future federal legislation. The bill clarifies that routine operations, maintenance activities, and capital improvements needed to meet authorized project purposes are not restricted by these prohibitions.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] (R-ID)
5 cosponsors
- Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY] (R-WY)
- Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] (R-ID)
- Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT)
- Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY] (R-WY)
- Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to James E. Risch’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- ALPHA SERVICES LLC $10,000
- 1ST FINANCIAL BANK USA $6,600
- CIVIC SERVICE INC. $6,600
- SINCLAIR COMPANIES $6,600
- SOROBAN CAPITAL PARTNERS LP $6,600
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for James E. Risch → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Jan 22, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. · senate
- Jan 22, 2025 Introduced in Senate
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 22, 2025
Mr. Risch (for himself, Mr. Daines, Mr. Sheehy, Mr. Crapo, Ms. Lummis, and Mr. Barrasso) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
A BILL
To provide for operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System pursuant to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time, 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. SHORT TITLE.
The Act may be cited as the “Northwest Energy Security Act”.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) FCRPS.—The term “FCRPS” means those portions of the Federal Columbia River Power System that are the subject of the Supplemental Opinion.
(2) Secretaries.—The term “Secretaries” means—
(A) the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation;
(B) the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration; and
(C) the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers.
(3) Supplemental opinion.—The term “Supplemental Opinion” means the document entitled “Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision” and dated September 2020.
SEC. 3. OPERATION OF FCRPS.
The Secretaries shall operate the FCRPS in a manner consistent with the reasonable and prudent alternative described in the Supplemental Opinion.
SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO SUPPLEMENTAL OPINION.
(a) In General.—Notwithstanding section 3, the Secretaries may amend portions of the Supplemental Opinion and operate the FCRPS in accordance with those amendments if all of the Secretaries determine, in the sole discretion of each Secretary, that—
(1) the amendment is necessary for public safety or transmission and grid reliability; or
(2) the actions, operations, or other requirements that the amendment would remove are no longer warranted.
(b) Restriction on Amendments.—The process described in subsection
(a) shall be the only method by which the Secretaries may operate the FCRPS in any way that is not consistent with the reasonable and prudent alternative set forth in the Supplemental Opinion.
SEC. 5. LIMITATION ON RESTRICTING FCRPS ELECTRICAL GENERATION; CLARIFICATION.
(a) Restricting FCRPS Electrical Generation.—No structural modification, action, study, or engineering plan that restricts electrical generation at any FCRPS hydroelectric dam, or that limits navigation on the Snake River in the State of Washington, Oregon, or Idaho, shall proceed unless such proposal is specifically and expressly authorized by a Federal statute enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Clarification.—Nothing in this section affects or interferes with the authority of the Secretaries to conduct operation and maintenance activities or make capital improvements necessary to meet authorized project purposes of FCRPS facilities. <all>
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