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National Energy Policy Act
Update: Energy Bill Complete. When
the President signed H.R. 6, the “Energy Policy Act of 2005” into
law on August 8, 2005, the bill retained all previous provisions for fish
passage.
Background: The Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) is responsible for licensing and inspecting all hydroelectric dams.
Private power companies apply for the licenses, which typically last 30-50
years, that govern water flows and fish passage requirements. Many of these
licenses will expire over the next 15 years, providing the opportunity to
manage a better balance between energy production, fish protection and recreational
opportunities.
In the late 1980s, the sportfishing community worked with Congress to ensure
that state and federal resource agencies would assess and recommend balanced
measures to mitigate fishery and angling opportunity losses due to projects
permitted under the FERC.
The Issue: It was imperative that fish passage provisions for FERC licensing
remain in the new energy bill. Any new energy legislation needed to mandate
that FERC licenses provide for fish passage. The 108th Congress failed to
pass a comprehensive energy bill in 2004, which created a priority for the
109th Congress in 2005.
Thank you for your help in ensuring that important fish passage provisions
were retained in the 2005 Energy Bill.
