Extension of Time to Commence Construction of Certain Hydropower Projects
Section 1 · Sec. 1 ·
What this chapter is about
This law is about projects that make power from moving water. A group called FERC gives out the permits. A permit says work must start in time. This law lets FERC add more time. It can add up to six more years.
The document says “means”Who acts: CongressHow: statuteSec. 1 in the PDF
What the document says
“the term "covered project" means a hydropower project with respect to which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a license before March 13, 2020”
Subsection (a). It fixes the meaning of the term used throughout the section, and confines the section to hydropower projects the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensed before March 13, 2020. The definition applies in this section only.
What the document actually says
“the term "covered project" means a hydropower project with respect to which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a license before March 13, 2020”
That sentence, in plain words
This part gives one term a meaning. A covered project makes power from moving water. FERC gave it a permit before March 13, 2020.
What this is about
The rest of this law only helps these projects. Permits given later do not count.
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The document says “can”Who acts: Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionHow: statuteSec. 1 in the PDF
What the document says
“on the request of a licensee of a covered project, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may, after reasonable notice and for good cause shown, extend in accordance with subsection (c) the period during which the licensee is required to commence construction of the covered project for not more than an additional 6 years beyond the 8 years authorized by that section”
Subsection (b), the operative grant of authority. It acts notwithstanding section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) rather than amending it. The extension is available only on a licensee's request, only after reasonable notice and a showing of good cause, only in accordance with subsection (c), and only up to six years beyond the eight years this law describes that section as authorizing.
What the document actually says
“on the request of a licensee of a covered project, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may, after reasonable notice and for good cause shown, extend in accordance with subsection (c) the period during which the licensee is required to commence construction of the covered project for not more than an additional 6 years beyond the 8 years authorized by that section”
That sentence, in plain words
The owner can ask for more time. FERC can say yes if there is good reason. It must give fair notice first. It can add up to six more years.
What this is about
This law points to an older rule. That rule gives eight years to start building. The new time is added on top of those eight years.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionHow: statuteSec. 1 in the PDF
What the document says
“consist of not more than 3 consecutive 2-year periods”
Paragraph (1) of subsection (c). It sets the form the extension takes: up to three consecutive periods of two years each, rather than a single grant of the full term.
What the document actually says
“consist of not more than 3 consecutive 2-year periods”
That sentence, in plain words
The extra time comes in two-year pieces. FERC can give up to three of them.
What this is about
Each piece lasts two years. Three pieces add up to six years.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionHow: statuteSec. 1 in the PDF
What the document says
“begin on the date on which the final extension of the period for commencement of construction granted to the licensee under section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) expires”
Paragraph (2) of subsection (c). It fixes the start date of an extension granted under this section as the expiry of the last extension the licensee received under section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806).
What the document actually says
“begin on the date on which the final extension of the period for commencement of construction granted to the licensee under section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) expires”
That sentence, in plain words
The extra time starts when the last old grant of time runs out.
What this is about
So there is no gap. The new time picks up where the old time ends.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionHow: statuteSec. 1 in the PDF
What the document says
“end on the date that is not more than 6 years after the latest date to which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is authorized to extend the period for commencement of construction under that section”
Paragraph (3) of subsection (c). It fixes the outer limit of an extension granted under this section by reference to the latest date section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) allows, and adds no more than six years to it.
What the document actually says
“end on the date that is not more than 6 years after the latest date to which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is authorized to extend the period for commencement of construction under that section”
That sentence, in plain words
The extra time must end within six years. The count starts from the last day the older rule allows.
What this is about
This sets the far end of the new time. FERC cannot go past it.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “can”Who acts: Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionHow: statuteSec. 1 in the PDF
What the document says
“the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may reinstate the license for the applicable project effective as of the date of expiration of the license”
Paragraph (1) of subsection (d). It applies where the period to commence construction of a covered project under section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) expired after December 31, 2023 and before this Act was enacted. In that case reinstatement is permitted, and it is backdated to the date the license expired.
What the document actually says
“the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may reinstate the license for the applicable project effective as of the date of expiration of the license”
That sentence, in plain words
FERC can bring the permit back. It counts as live again from the day it ran out.
What this is about
Some permits ran out before this law was signed. This part is for those. It works only if the permit ran out after December 31, 2023.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
The document says “shall”Who acts: Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionHow: statuteSec. 1 in the PDF
What the document says
“the extension authorized under subsection (b) shall take effect on the date of that expiration”
Paragraph (2) of subsection (d). Under the same condition, the extension authorized by subsection (b) is dated back to the expiry rather than to the day it is granted, so it runs from the same date as the reinstatement in paragraph (1).
What the document actually says
“the extension authorized under subsection (b) shall take effect on the date of that expiration”
That sentence, in plain words
The extra time starts on the day the permit ran out.
What this is about
So the new time fills the gap. The owner does not lose those days.
No action is recorded against this proposal. That is not evidence that none has been taken, and nobody has yet read it against the record. See what the tracker does not yet cover.
All four subsections of the law's only section: the definition of a covered project, the authority to grant an extension, the three limits on how long that extension runs and when it starts and ends, and the treatment of a license whose construction deadline already expired.
Nothing in the section is left out. The approval line and the legislative history the Government Publishing Office prints after the section are held out of the indexed text.
The section operates notwithstanding section 13 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 806) and does not amend it. That Act is not indexed here, so the site records only what this law itself says about section 13, and not what section 13 provides.
