§838n Columbia Basin power management

Summary

Creates a Treasury account to pay for projects that increase renewable electricity traded between the western United States and Canada. Account — a Treasury fund for these projects. Administrator — the head of the Bonneville Power Administration. Canadian Entitlement — Canada’s downstream power benefits under the 1961 Columbia River treaty. The Administrator may use the account to build transmission lines in the western United States that help non-carbon power flows to and from Canada, but only after the later of September 16, 2024, or the date the Canadian entitlement value calculation is ended or reduced to the actual power value to the United States, as the Administrator decides. The Administrator must consult Canadian utilities and regional transmission planners. Money can be appropriated to the account equal to the total Canadian Entitlement for the five years before November 15, 2021. The Commissioner of Reclamation must upgrade the John W. Keys III Pump Generating Plant to replace old equipment, keep the system reliable and efficient, add hydroelectric capacity in the Pacific Northwest, and protect irrigation water if Columbia River flows from British Columbia are too low after September 16, 2024. Up to $100,000,000 is authorized for that work. The Administrator must also study the value of better coordinating U.S. and Canadian hydro and storage operations, looking at future Northwest electricity supply, greenhouse gas reductions, transmission needs, and other relevant factors, coordinating with British Columbia (or its crown corporation), the Assistant Secretary, the Commissioner of Reclamation, and any public utility districts on the Columbia River mainstem. Up to $10,000,000 is authorized for the study.