From November 2, 2022
Last week, Congressman Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01) introduced legislation that would prevent the U.S. Department of the Interior from charging operations and maintenance fees for dams that are unable to generate hydropower due to low water levels.
“Arizona is facing historic, decades-long drought, a reality that affects everything from our state’s agriculture to the renewable energy generated from reclamation dams like Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell,” said O’Halleran. “As water levels continue drop towards the minimum power pool at Glen Canyon Dam, our bicameral legislation would ensure affected communities won’t bear added financial burden when the dam can’t generate electricity.
“I remain committed to working with stakeholders across the aisle and with my counterparts in Upper Basin and Lower Basin states to refine this legislation and work together to find solutions for our communities.”
Hydropower production at Glen Canyon Dam, the site of the nation’s second largest man-made reservoir, has decreased by more than 20 percent over 23 consecutive years of drought. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation predicts a one-in-four chance that the dam will hit minimum power pool next year. In the Colorado River Basin, Reclamation sets operations and maintenance rates and recovery costs for its hydropower projects, which is collected from ratepayers, including Arizona localities, by the Western Area Power Administration.
O’Halleran’s legislation is a House companion bill to legislation introduced by Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in the Senate. The bill is supported by the Arizona Farm Bureau.
Original source can be found here.
