Celebrating America's Heritage Act
Floor Speech
CELEBRATING AMERICA'S HERITAGE ACT -- (House of Representatives - October 24, 2007)
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Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to comment on one aspect of H.R. 1483: the effect of the designation of National Heritage Areas on the development and siting of needed energy infrastructure. Some of these National Heritage Areas fall within National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors that were recently designated by the Department of Energy. Development and siting of new electric transmission was an important part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and the designation of National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors is a critical component in getting that new transmission built.
Originally, there was concern that the designation of National Heritage Areas could impede the development of new energy infrastructure, even if that infrastructure were in a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor. Bipartisan compromise language that has been added to the bill, along with language in the Committee Report accompanying H.R. 1483, makes it clear that the designation of a National Heritage Area should not impede the development of necessary energy infrastructure. Specifically, I understand that compromise language has been added to clarify that nothing in the bill ``alters any duly adopted land use regulation, approved land use plan, or other regulatory authority (such as the authority to make safety improvements or increase the capacity of existing roads or to construct new roads) of any Federal, State, Tribal, or local agency, or conveys any land use or other regulatory authority to any local coordinating entity, including but not necessarily limited to development and management of energy or water or water-related infrastructure.'' I believe that this language and the accompanying report language makes it clear that a State public utility commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission should not consider the fact that an area is a National Heritage Area as a basis to deny siting of energy infrastructure.
I commend the bill's authors for including this important clarification.
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