Union Calendar No. 16
118th CONGRESS 1st Session |
[Report No. 118–24, Part I]
To establish a more uniform, transparent, and modern process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and natural gas and the transmission of electricity.
February 17, 2023
Mr. Armstrong introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
March 23, 2023
Additional sponsors: Mr. Balderson, Mr. Latta, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Reschenthaler, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Griffith, Mr. Lamborn, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Womack, Mrs. Bice, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Jackson of Texas, Mrs. Lesko, Mr. Bucshon, Mr. Curtis, and Mr. Rutherford
March 23, 2023
Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
March 23, 2023
Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Natural Resources discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 17, 2023]
To establish a more uniform, transparent, and modern process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and natural gas and the transmission of electricity.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Promoting Cross-border Energy Infrastructure Act”.
SEC. 2. Strengthening North American energy security.
(a) Authorization of certain energy infrastructure projects at an international boundary of the United States.—
(1) AUTHORIZATION.—Except as provided in paragraph (3) and subsection (e), no person may construct, connect, operate, or maintain a border-crossing facility for the import or export of oil or natural gas, or the transmission of electricity, across an international border of the United States without obtaining a certificate of crossing for the border-crossing facility under this subsection.
(2) CERTIFICATE OF CROSSING.—
(A) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 120 days after final action is taken, by the relevant official or agency identified under subparagraph (B), under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) with respect to a border-crossing facility for which a person requests a certificate of crossing under this subsection, the relevant official or agency, in consultation with appropriate Federal agencies, shall issue a certificate of crossing for the border-crossing facility unless the relevant official or agency finds that the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance of the border-crossing facility is not in the public interest of the United States.
(B) RELEVANT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY.—The relevant official or agency referred to in subparagraph (A) is—
(C) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION FACILITIES.—In the case of a request for a certificate of crossing for a border-crossing facility consisting of an electric transmission facility, the Secretary of Energy shall require, as a condition of issuing the certificate of crossing under subparagraph (A), that the border-crossing facility be constructed, connected, operated, or maintained consistent with all applicable policies and standards of—
(3) EXCLUSIONS.—This subsection shall not apply to any construction, connection, operation, or maintenance of a border-crossing facility for the import or export of oil or natural gas, or the transmission of electricity—
(A) if the border-crossing facility is operating for such import, export, or transmission as of the date of enactment of this Act;
(B) if a Presidential permit (or similar permit) for the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance has been issued pursuant to any provision of law or Executive order; or
(4) EFFECT OF OTHER LAWS.—
(A) APPLICATION TO PROJECTS.—Nothing in this subsection or subsection (e) shall affect the application of any other Federal statute to a project for which a certificate of crossing for a border-crossing facility is requested under this subsection.
(b) Importation or exportation of natural gas to Canada and Mexico.—Section 3(c) of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717b(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following: “In the case of an application for the importation of natural gas from, or the exportation of natural gas to, Canada or Mexico, the Commission shall grant the application not later than 30 days after the date on which the Commission receives the complete application.”.
(c) Transmission of electric energy to Canada and Mexico.—
(1) REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT TO SECURE ORDER.—Section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824a(e)) is repealed.
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
(A) STATE REGULATIONS.—Section 202(f) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824a(f)) is amended by striking “insofar as such State regulation does not conflict with the exercise of the Commission's powers under or relating to subsection 202(e)”.
(B) SEASONAL DIVERSITY ELECTRICITY EXCHANGE.—Section 602(b) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 824a–4(b)) is amended by striking “the Commission has conducted hearings and made the findings required under section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act” and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting “the Secretary has conducted hearings and finds that the proposed transmission facilities would not impair the sufficiency of electric supply within the United States or would not impede or tend to impede the coordination in the public interest of facilities subject to the jurisdiction of the Secretary.”.
(d) No Presidential permit required.—No Presidential permit (or similar permit) shall be required pursuant to any provision of law or Executive order for the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance of an oil or natural gas pipeline or electric transmission facility, or any border-crossing facility thereof.
(e) Modifications to existing projects.—No certificate of crossing under subsection (a), or Presidential permit (or similar permit), shall be required for a modification to—
(1) an oil or natural gas pipeline or electric transmission facility that is operating for the import or export of oil or natural gas or the transmission of electricity as of the date of enactment of this Act;
(f) Prohibition on revocation of Presidential permits.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President may not revoke a Presidential permit (or similar permit) issued pursuant to Executive Order No. 13337 (3 U.S.C. 301 note), Executive Order No. 11423 (3 U.S.C. 301 note), Executive Order No. 12038 (43 Fed. Reg. 4957), Executive Order No. 10485 (18 Fed. Reg. 5397), or any other Executive order for the construction, connection, operation, or maintenance of an oil or natural gas pipeline or electric transmission facility, or any border-crossing facility thereof, unless such revocation is authorized by an Act of Congress.
(g) Effective date; rulemaking deadlines.—
(1) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsections (a) through (e), and the amendments made by such subsections, shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
(h) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) BORDER-CROSSING FACILITY.—The term “border-crossing facility” means the portion of an oil or natural gas pipeline or electric transmission facility that is located at an international boundary of the United States.
(2) MODIFICATION.—The term “modification” includes a reversal of flow direction, change in ownership, change in flow volume, addition or removal of an interconnection, or an adjustment to maintain flow (such as a reduction or increase in the number of pump or compressor stations).
(3) NATURAL GAS.—The term “natural gas” has the meaning given that term in section 2 of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717a).
(5) ELECTRIC RELIABILITY ORGANIZATION; REGIONAL ENTITY.—The terms “Electric Reliability Organization” and “regional entity” have the meanings given those terms in section 215 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824o).
(6) INDEPENDENT SYSTEM OPERATOR; REGIONAL TRANSMISSION ORGANIZATION.—The terms “Independent System Operator” and “Regional Transmission Organization” have the meanings given those terms in section 3 of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 796).
Union Calendar No. 16 | |||||
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[Report No. 118–24, Part I] | |||||
A BILL | |||||
To establish a more uniform, transparent, and modern process to authorize the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of international border-crossing facilities for the import and export of oil and natural gas and the transmission of electricity. | |||||
March 23, 2023 | |||||
Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce with an amendment | |||||
March 23, 2023 | |||||
Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Natural Resources discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed |