H.R. 2842 would authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to permit private entities to develop small hydropower units on all irrigation canals and conduits under the agency’s jurisdiction. Under current law, the bureau or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has jurisdiction over hydropower development at such facilities. H.R. 2842 would clarify that the jurisdiction for small hydropower development on all bureau irrigation canals and conduits lies solely with the bureau. CBO expects that the change would increase agency receipts from hydropower development because the federal government collects no funds from project developers if a project is authorized by FERC. CBO estimates that additional annual lease payments to the bureau would reach almost
$1 million by 2018 and increase to $2 million by 2021.
Read on at: http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdoc.cfm?index=12558&type=1
