Tester, Daines Bill to Complete Gibson Dam Near Augusta Passes Senate

(U.S. Senate) – The U.S. Senate passed U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines’ bill to ensure the completion of the Gibson Dam Hydro Project near Augusta. The bill will provide for the six-year extension of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for the dam.

“The Gibson Dam produces made-in-Montana renewable energy that powers our homes and businesses,” Tester said. “This extension will ensure that the dam can put more folks to work, provide revenue for our local schools and infrastructure, and reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy.”

“Hydropower is critical to Montana’s ‘all-of-the-above’ energy approach and is an important source of tax revenue and jobs,” said Daines. “Completion of the Gibson Dam will not only power Montana homes, but will power our economy and provide Montanans with a clean, reliable source of energy.”

Montana is the fifth-largest producer of hydropower in the nation and has 23 hydroelectric dams.

Gibson Dam:

• Create 15 to 25 jobs and up to $5 million in wages during construction
• Provide 50 to 100 years of stable tax revenues for Teton and Lewis and Clark Counties, averaging $500,000 annually per county
• Reduce more than 40,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year
• Strengthen the irrigation component of the Gibson Dam
• $1 million in local purchases over two years
• Sun River Electric Cooperative will receive over $200,000 per year in a “wheeling fee”