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CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
COST ESTIMATE
December 12, 2017
H.R. 2880
Promoting Closed-Loop Pumped Storage Hydropower Act
As reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
on December]], 2017
H.R. 2880 would direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), within
180 days of enactment, to establish an expedited process for issuing permits and licenses
for closed-loop pumped storage projects, which move water between two reservoirs
without being continuously connected to a naturally flowing water feature. In developing
those procedures, the bill would require FERC to consult with other federal and local
agencies involved in regulating projects that would qualify for expedited permitting and
licensing on the basis of criteria specified by the bill. H.R. 2880 also would require FERC
to collect fees from applicants for licenses for closed-loop storage projects to reimburse
costs incurred by state and federal fish and wildlife agencies responsible for reviewing
such projects. Subject to authority provided in annual appropriation acts, such fees would
be available to those agencies to carry out required regulatory activities.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2880 would not significantly affect the federal budget.
Any new fees collected to reimburse fish and wildlife agencies' costs would be recorded
as offsetting receipts, which are treated as reductions in direct spending. Using
information from FERC about historical spending to review and regulate hydropower
projects, however, CBO estimates that any such receipts (and subsequent spending by
affected agencies, which would be subject to appropriation) would average less than
$500,000 per year and over the 2018-2027 period.
We also expect that establishing and implementing the proposed expedited regulatory
process could increase FERC's annual workload, but CBO estimates that any net changes
in annual spending by that agency would be insignificant. Using information from FERC
about the historical costs of similar efforts, CBO estimates that any increase in the
agency's administrative costs under H.R. 2880 would be relatively small. Further,
because FERC recovers 100 percent of its costs through user fees, any change in its
administrative costs (which are subject to appropriation) would be offset by an equal
change in the fees that the commission charges.](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.congrec/prcloushy3920&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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