H.R. 626 — Northwest Energy Security Act

This section defines key terms for purposes of the Act, including (1) FCRPS, meaning those portions of the Federal Columbia River Power System (i.e., federal hydroelectric dams and related facilities in the Columbia River Basin used for power generation, irrigation, flood control, and fish passage) that are the subject of the Supplemental Opinion; (2) Secretaries, meaning the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation), the Secretary of Energy (acting through the Bonneville Power Administration Administrator), and the Secretary of the Army (acting through the Chief of Engineers); and (3) Supplemental Opinion, meaning the September 2020 Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision.

This section authorizes the Secretaries to amend portions of the Supplemental Opinion and operate the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) consistent with those amendments if all Secretaries determine, in their sole discretion, that the amendment is necessary for public safety or transmission and grid reliability, or that the removed actions, operations, or requirements are no longer warranted. This process is the only method by which the Secretaries may operate the FCRPS in any manner inconsistent with the reasonable and prudent alternative in the Supplemental Opinion.

This section prohibits any structural modification, action, study, or engineering plan that restricts electrical generation at any Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) hydroelectric dam or limits navigation on the Snake River in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho unless expressly authorized by a federal statute enacted after the date of enactment of this Act. The section clarifies that it does not affect the authority of the Secretaries (of the Interior and Army, which manage FCRPS dams for hydropower, flood control, irrigation, and fish/wildlife purposes) to conduct operation and maintenance activities or capital improvements necessary for authorized project purposes.