article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND DEFINITIONS. (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``National Renewable Energy Lands Act of 2002''. (b) Definitions.--For purposes of this Act: (1) The term ``renewable energy'' means electric energy generated by solar, wind, or geothermal power. (2) The term ``candidate sites'' means sites identified under section 4 as candidates for the siting of renewable energy production facilities. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. The Congress makes the following findings: (1) The expedited development and deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and resources in the United States will both increase our energy independence and contribute to ensuring our energy security. (2) Renewable energy facilities produce cleaner energy and have much less impact on the environment than conventional energy facilities and fuels in terms of air pollution, acid rain, and greenhouse gases. (3) The United States has abundant solar, wind, and geothermal resources on Federal lands providing, a tremendous potential for the development and deployment of renewable energy power. (4) The use of solar, wind, and geothermal technologies and resources can be enhanced through the use of integrated hydroelectric storage systems. (5) The development and deployment of renewable energy technologies and resources on Federal lands can be done in an expedited fashion consistent with the requirements of the Federal Land Management Policy Act of 1976 and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. SEC. 3. EVALUATION OF FEDERAL HYDROELECTRIC FACILITY CANDIDATE SITES. The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Land Management, and in consultation with the Federal Power Marketing Administrations and other appropriate Federal agencies, shall evaluate all Federal hydroelectric facilities on Federal lands and, within 1 year after the enactment of this Act, identify facilities that are candidates for interconnection with potential renewable energy generation facilities. Evaluation criteria to identify candidate facilities shall include-- (1) proximity of the hydroelectric facilities to Federal lands suitable for renewable energy projects; (2) existing transmission capacity infrastructure in proximity to the hydroelectric facilities; (3) the need for, and value of, enhanced peaking power production capability in conjunction with the hydroelectric facilities; (4) the value of increased Department of the Interior ability to address varied multiple-use concerns, such as water resource management, recreational and wildlife uses, deriving from the additional margins of generation potentially provided by collocated renewable energy production facilities; and (5) other criteria to be determined. SEC. 4. EVALUATION OF FEDERAL RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCTION CANDIDATE SITES. The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Land Management, and in consultation with the Federal Power Marketing Administrations and other appropriate Federal agencies, shall, within 1 year after the enactment of this Act, evaluate and identify potential renewable energy production sites on Federal lands. Evaluation criteria to identify candidate sites shall include each of the following: (1) Proximity to (A) hydroelectric facilities that are identified under section 3 as candidates for interconnection with potential renewable energy generation facilities, or (B) support infrastructure, including roadways, transmission lines, and other facilities. (2) Topography appropriate for solar, wind, or geothermal generation systems. (3) The absence of cultural or historic resources. (4) The impact of facilities on wildlife including the likelihood of interference with federally listed threatened or endangered species and their habitats. (5) The absence of any other potential impediments to the development of electric energy generation and transmission facilities. Upon completion of the evaluation, the Secretary shall publish a list of the sites that the Secretary finds to be qualified for the location of renewable energy facilities. Such list shall be made available for public comment for a period of at least 90 days. SEC. 5. ENGINEERING FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS. The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Land Management, and in consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies, shall complete an engineering feasibility analysis for sites that are identified under section 4 as candidate sites setting forth each of the following: (1) The capability and cost estimates of additional hydro- related transmission equipment additions (if any) based on pro forma power production increases in 1-percent increments up to a total of 10 percent of the subject hydrofacilities current production capacity. (2) An analysis of the potential financial benefits of coordinated operation of the potential renewable energy facilities located at the candidate sites with hydroelectric facilities on Federal lands. (3) An analysis of the potential environmental benefits to affected aquatic ecosystems arising from improved flexibility in hydrofacility water management attributable to collocated renewable energy systems. SEC. 6. LEASING. (a) In General.--Upon the completion of the engineering feasibility analysis under section 5 of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, shall expeditiously make the most promising of the candidate sites identified under section 4 available for long-term lease pursuant to a competitive bidding process to qualified renewable energy development firms. In identifying the candidate areas to be made available for leasing under this section, the Secretary shall locate such areas and determine the size of such areas in such manner as will (1) minimize the need for additional rights of way for transmission and for transportation, and (2) provide such lands to enable the lessee to expand the size of any initial facility to be constructed on the lease lands. (b) Advertising.--The Director of the Bureau of Land Management shall publicly advertise the terms and conditions of potential long- term lease agreements for the candidate sites. (c) Request for Proposals.--The Director of the Bureau of Land Management shall prepare a request for proposals to develop the candidate sites identified under section 4. (d) Issuance of Leases.--The leases issued under this section shall be for a period of not less than 30 years. (e) Commencement of Construction and Operation.--As a condition of any lease under this section, the Director of the Bureau of Land Management shall require lessees to commence construction of a renewable energy production facility within 24 months of the signing of the lease and be fully capable of producing electric energy for sale within 36 months of the signing of the lease for the public lands site. SEC. 7. GAO REPORT. The Comptroller General of the United States shall undertake an investigation of, and prepare and submit to the Congress a report on, the existing impediments to the construction of renewable energy projects on Federal lands and the measures, including legislative measures, necessary to expedite the development of such projects. SEC. 8. CONTRACT EXPIRATION. Upon expiration and renegotiation of any contract for the sale of electric energy generated by a Federal hydroelectric facility on Federal land, the interconnection of potential renewable energy sources to such facility shall be evaluated and implemented in accordance with the evaluation criteria as defined in section 3 of this Act.
summary: National Renewable Energy Lands Act of 2002 - Instructs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Land Management, to: (1) evaluate all Federal hydroelectric facilities on Federal lands and identify candidates for interconnection with potential renewable energy generation facilities; (2) evaluate and identify renewable energy production candidate sites on Federal lands; (3) complete an engineering feasibility analysis for such sites; and (4) expeditiously make the most promising of the candidate sites available for long-term lease pursuant to a competitive bidding process to qualified renewable energy development firms.Requires the Comptroller General to investigate and report to Congress on the existing impediments to construction of renewable energy projects on Federal lands and the measures necessary to expedite project development.