S. 1020 — A bill to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects.

This section authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), upon licensee request and for good cause, to extend the deadline to commence construction of hydropower projects licensed before March 13, 2020, by up to an additional 6 years (in up to three consecutive 2-year periods) beyond existing extensions under section 13 of the Federal Power Act, which generally requires construction to commence within 8 years of license issuance. The section also directs FERC to reinstate any such project licenses that expired after December 31, 2023, and before enactment of this Act, effective as of the expiration date (thus enabling the new extension period to apply).