I am pleased that the Commission is releasing the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Hells Canyon Complex today. This represents a significant milestone in the laboring relicensing process. I want to commend our dedicated FERC staff for their thorough and professional work in preparing this document.
The Hells Canyon Complex has operated for decades as critical energy infrastructure, supplying nearly 30% of Idaho Power’s load annually. Idaho Power first filed the application for a new license in 2003 and the draft Supplemental EIS has been pending since announced in June of 2022. This process has taken too long. Federal and state governments need to be more agile.
While I understand the complexity of this proceeding, affected communities and stakeholders deserve timely regulatory decisions. Idaho Power serves over 534,000 customers in Idaho and eastern Oregon and the Hells Canyon Complex is a vital part of the region’s energy grid. Prolonged uncertainty serves no one’s interests; it drives the cost of regulatory burden to ratepayers, erodes the impact of key environmental investments, and undermines confidence in our processes.
My focus remains on the Commission’s statutory mandate: ensuring any license we issue will be best adapted to a comprehensive plan for developing water resources. In an era of rising electricity costs and grid reliability concerns, we need to timely consider resources so as not to diminish proven sources of dispatchable generation. It is essential that efficiencies be found within the relicensing process, that technology be appropriately and aggressively employed, and human capital be appropriately allocated to tackle these projects for the American people.
I encourage robust public participation during the comment period, particularly from those who live and work in the affected region, farmers and ranchers who depend on these water resources, and local officials who understand the real-world impacts of our decisions.
Again, my thanks to FERC staff. I look forward to working with my fellow Commissioners toward a sound relicensing decision.