00:00Mr. President, hydropower. It produces affordable, reliable, clean, baseload power in Montana and across the United States.
00:16For years, I've worked with my colleagues to grow our hydropower portfolio, creating new jobs, lowering prices, and strengthening our grid.
00:23And I want to thank Senator Fetterman for joining me as my co-lead to push this bill across the finish line.
00:32Our bipartisan bill, Senate Bill 1020, simply allows the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission...
00:40Take their conversations off the floor. Thank you. The Senator from Montana.
00:46Mr. President, hydropower produces affordable, reliable, and clean, baseload power in Montana and across the United States.
00:59And for years, I've worked with my colleagues, both sides of the aisle, to grow our hydropower portfolio, creating jobs, lowering prices, and strengthening the grid.
01:09And I want to thank Senator Fetterman for joining me as my co-lead to push this bill across the finish line.
01:18Our bipartisan bill, Senate Bill 1020, simply allows the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend licenses for the construction of new hydropower projects that have been affected by supply chain shortages back to 2020.
01:35This bill passed the Senate last year by unanimous consent. And we can do that again here today.
01:44There are a number of projects whose licenses will expire if we don't pass my bill.
01:50Projects in Montana, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Oregon, and Alaska.
01:58Pumped storage projects that will help balance the grid. And small projects that will also power rural communities.
02:09It's bipartisan, non-controversial. That's one that we must pass today.
02:15And the good news is, we do not have objections to what's going to pass today.
02:18And with that, Mr. President, as if in legislative session, and notwithstanding Rule 22, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of Senate Bill 1020, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
02:37The clerk report.
02:38The clerk report.
02:39The clerk report.
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