Dear Energy and Commerce Committee Member,
TCS Action is greatly concerned with the large, unnecessary hydropower subsidies included in the bill. The current hydropower subsidy program would last ten years and cost taxpayers at least $200 million. The provision, added to Title III of the energy bill, provides incentive payments of 1.8 cents per kilowatt-hour to hydropower facilities with a potential price tag of $100 million over the next ten years. The Shadegg language also includes payments for $10 million a year for capital investments over the next ten years. Both subsidies apply to any qualified non-federal facility that sells hydropower electricity.
In addition to the $200 million subsidy, taxpayers would likely be stuck footing the bill for any damage caused by the new upgrades at the hydropower facilities. The fiscal impacts of the current language could be enormous. Taxpayers have already spent billions of dollars in the last several decades paying for the negative impacts of hydropower and this language could easily cause costs to taxpayer costs to soar in the next ten years.
TCS Action urges you to protect national taxpayers and support Rep. Allen's amendment to strike more than $200 million in hydropower subsidies from the energy bill. If you have any questions, please contact Autumn Hanna at (202) 546-8500 ext 112.
Sincerely,
Steve Ellis
Vice President for Program
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