A bill to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects.

S 1020 allows hydropower project developers to have more time to begin construction on their licensed facilities before their permits expire. The bill directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which oversees hydropower licensing, to extend the deadline for starting construction on certain hydropower projects. This primarily affects companies and organizations that hold FERC licenses for hydropower development but have not yet broken ground on their projects.

The bill addresses a practical challenge in hydropower development, where licensing approval and actual construction can be separated by years due to financing, environmental assessments, permitting from other agencies, and land acquisition issues. Hydropower projects are often initiated in states like Montana, where Senator Daines represents, and face lengthy development timelines before construction can realistically begin. By extending construction deadlines, the bill aims to preserve viable energy projects that might otherwise lose their licenses and allow developers to move forward when conditions permit, though the extension also means these projects will take longer to come online as sources of electricity generation.