S. 215, a bill to authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue an order continuing a stay of a hydroelectric license for the Mahoney Lake hydroelectric project in the state of Alaska, and for other purposes

CBO estimates that implementing S. 215 would have no net effect on the federal budget. The bill would direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), at the request of the licensee of the Mahoney Lake hydroelectric project in Alaska (number 11393), to issue an order to continue a stay of the license for that project. The bill also would direct FERC, upon the licensee’s request, to subsequently lift that stay and extend for up to three consecutive two-year periods the deadline for beginning construction of the hydroelectric project. Implementing S. 215 could have a minor effect on FERC’s workload; however, because FERC recovers 100 percent of its costs through user fees, any change in that agency’s costs (which are controlled through annual appropriation acts) would be offset by an equal change in fees that the commission charges, resulting in no net change in federal spending.

Enacting S. 215 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting S. 215 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.

S. 215 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.