Federal Bureau of Prisons Voting Assistance Act of 2023

Discussed concerns with third-party efforts to remove the Lower Snake River Dams and the importance of hydropower (no bill). Discussed Columbia River Settlement Agreement and concerns with the potential impact of breaching the Lower Snake River dams on hydropower production, meeting clean energy goals, and grid reliability (no legislation). Discussed Columbia River Treaty negotiations. Discussed support for S. 3581/H.R. 6924, the Hydropower Delivery Rate-reduction Offset (HYDRO) Act. Discussed the issue of the assignment of inequitable costs by the Army Corps of Engineers to the Power Marketing Administrations and their customers. Discussed support for ensuring the Water Resources Development Act (no bill number) protects federal hydropower customers from costs issued by the Army Corps of Engineers for which they receive no benefit. Discussed language to make clear that the Power Marketing Administration Administrators retain full authority on setting rates in draft Water Resources Development Act legislation. Discussed the importance of preserving Power Marketing Administration rate making authority; the application of dam safety costs to state-of-the-art modifications; the Stockton Lake compromise on water supply and hydropower generation; and the study of power deauthorization at Willamette Valley projects in the context of future Water Resource Development Act legislation (no bill). Discussed concerns with sections 121(a) and 121(c) of H.R. 8812, the Water Resources Development Act, regarding the classification of authorized purposes at Corps projects and cost sharing. Also discussed an amendment to the legislation to create a pilot program for Corps projects in AZ, CA, and NV at which the secretary of the Army to declare water supply is an authorized purpose during drought emergencies. Discussed the importance of the federal Power Marketing Administrations that provide federal hydropower to public power utilities. Discussed growing threats to electric utilities from wildfires (no legislation). Discussed S. 4628, the Enhancing Mitigation and Building Effective Resilience Act (all provisions). Discussed H.R. 8160, the Breaking Irresponsible Energy and Commercial Habitats Act (all provisions). Discussed H.R. 8161, the Electric Ratepayer Funding Alternative Act (all provisions). Discussed H.R. 8159, the Abandoning Inconsistent and Rash Environmental Solutions Act (all provisions). Discussed H.R. 8156, the Queries Act (all provisions).