To provide that in preparing an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement required under section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to any action authorizing a renewable energy project, no Federal agency is required to identify alternative project locations or actions other than the proposed action and the no action alternative, and for other purposes.

Declares that, with respect to any authorization for a renewable energy project and the attendant preparation of an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, a Federal agency is not required to: (1) identify alternative project locations or actions other than the proposed action and the no action alternative; or (2) analyze the environmental effects of alternative locations or actions other than those submitted by the project proponent.

Requires such agency, in any such assessment or impact statement, to identify and analyze solely the environmental effects and potential mitigation measures of: (1) the proposed action; and (2) the no action alternative.

Provides that, in preparing an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement, such agency shall only consider public comments that specifically address the preferred action and that are filed within 20 days after publication of a draft environmental assessment or draft environmental impact statement.

Defines "renewable energy project," for purpose of this Act, as: (1) any proposal to utilize an energy source other than nuclear power, coal, oil, or natural gas; and (2) including but not limited to the use of wind, solar, geothermal, or tidal forces to generate energy.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4513 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4513

      To provide that in preparing an environmental assessment or 
   environmental impact statement required under section 102 of the 
 National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to any action 
 authorizing a renewable energy project, no Federal agency is required 
  to identify alternative project locations or actions other than the 
 proposed action and the no action alternative, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 4, 2004

  Mr. Pombo introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                         Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To provide that in preparing an environmental assessment or 
   environmental impact statement required under section 102 of the 
 National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 with respect to any action 
 authorizing a renewable energy project, no Federal agency is required 
  to identify alternative project locations or actions other than the 
 proposed action and the no action alternative, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS.

    (a) Compliance With NEPA for Renewable Energy Projects.--
Notwithstanding any other law, in preparing an environmental assessment 
or environmental impact statement required under section 102 of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332) with respect 
to any action authorizing a renewable energy project under the 
jurisdiction of a Federal agency--
            (1) no Federal agency is required to identify alternative 
        project locations or actions other than the proposed action and 
        the no action alternative; and
            (2) no Federal agency is required to analyze the 
        environmental effects of alternative locations or actions other 
        than those submitted by the project proponent.
    (b) Consideration of Alternatives.--In any environmental assessment 
or environmental impact statement referred to in subsection (a), the 
Federal agency shall only identify and analyze the environmental 
effects and potential mitigation measures of--
            (1) the proposed action; and
            (2) the no action alternative.
    (c) Public Comment.--In preparing an environmental assessment or 
environmental impact statement referred to in subsection (a), the 
Federal agency shall only consider public comments that specifically 
address the preferred action and that are filed within 20 days after 
publication of a draft environmental assessment or draft environmental 
impact statement. Notwithstanding any other law, compliance with this 
subsection is deemed to satisfy section 102(2) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)) and the applicable 
regulations and administrative guidelines with respect to proposed 
renewable energy projects.
    (d) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term ``renewable 
energy project''--
            (1) means any proposal to utilize an energy source other 
        than nuclear power or the combustion of coal, oil or natural 
        gas; and
            (2) includes but is not be limited to the use of wind, 
        solar, geothermal, or tidal forces to generate energy.
                                 <all>