WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines’ bills to ensure the completion of two hydroelectric facilities in Montana today unanimously passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Daines’ bills provide for the reinstatement and three-year extension of a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for Clark Canyon Dam Hydro Project in Dillon, Montana and a six-year extension of the FERC license for the Gibson Dam Hydro Project near Augusta, Montana.
“Hydropower is a critical component of an all-of-the-above energy portfolio that provides a reliable and affordable source of electricity for hardworking Montana families,” Daines stated. “I’m pleased to see bipartisan support for the completion of two important Montana hydropower construction projects that will create good-paying jobs.”
Daines is a proponent of an all-of-the-above energy plan that encompasses coal, oil and natural gas, hydro, wind, and biomass. He recently toured the Rainbow Dam in Great Falls to see firsthand the operations of a hydropower facility.
More information on the economic benefits of the hydroelectric projects is available below:
Clark Canyon Dam:
- Create 30 to 40 jobs during construction and one to two full time jobs for the next 50+ years
- Reduce over 18,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year
- Power 1,200 homes annually
- Produce $611,000 in state and federal taxes over the first five years of operation
- Produce $37,000 in property tax contributions over the first five years
Gibson Dam:
- Create 15 to 25 jobs and up to $5 million in wages during construction
- Provide 50 to 100 years of stable tax revenues for Teton and Lewis and Clark Counties, averaging $500,000 annually per county
- Reduce more than 40,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year
- Strengthen the irrigation component of the Gibson Dam
- $1 million in local purchases over two years
- Sun River Electric Cooperative will receive over $200,000 per year in a “wheeling fee”
Daines’ bills received a hearing in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee on May 19, 2015. Senator Jon Tester joined Daines in introducing both bills on April 28, 2015. Representative Ryan Zinke has introduced companion legislation in the House.
The full text of Daines’ bills are available here and here.
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