Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Protecting Our Farmers from the Green New Deal Act”.
Protecting Our Farmers from the Green New Deal Act
A BILL
To amend the Federal Power Act to prohibit the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from issuing permits for the construction or modification of electric transmission facilities in a State over the objection of the State, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to protect farmers and landowners from national efforts to site electric transmission facilities over the objection of State regulators.
Sec. 3 Siting of interstate electric transmission facilities
by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
“(A) a State in which the transmission facilities are to be constructed or modified does not have authority to approve the siting of the facilities;”
by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (6) as subparagraphs (B) through (F), respectively, and indenting appropriately;
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as so designated), by striking “Except” and inserting the following:
“(1) In general—Except”
in paragraph (1) (as so designated)—
in subparagraph (E), by striking “and” at the end;
in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(G) the proposed construction or modification minimizes any adverse effects on landowners and agriculture, adequately compensates landowners and agricultural producers for any harms, and provides benefits to consumers in the State that exceed the harms to landowners and agricultural producers.”
by adding at the end the following:
“(2) Prohibition—Under no circumstances may the Commission review an application or issue a permit for the construction or modification of transmission facilities if a State entity with authority to approve the siting of the facilities—
“(A) has previously denied an identical or substantially similar application; or
“(B) is currently reviewing an identical or substantially similar application.”
Conforming amendment— Section 216(i)(4) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824p(i)(4)) is amended by striking “, unless” in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) and all that follows through the period at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting a period.
Sec. 4 Report
Definitions— In this section:
Commission— The term Commission means the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Committees of jurisdiction— The term committees of jurisdiction means—
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate; and
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
Report required— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Commission shall submit to the committees of jurisdiction and make publicly available a report describing all actions taken by the Commission pursuant to section 216(b) of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 824p(b)) during the period covered by the report.
Contents— The report required under subsection (b) shall include a description of—
any adverse effects on private landowners, farmers, and agricultural producers;
how those effects were taken into account; and
the steps taken by the Commission—
to minimize those effects;
to compensate any affected individuals; and
to ensure that affected individuals benefit from the applicable project.