Energy Legislation Passes: 1st Since 2009

Congress passed the first significant energy legislation, except for some tax changes, since 2009, after the Senate approved two bills on August 1st.  The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act (H.R. 267) and the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act (H.R. 678) clear the way for faster licensing of hydroelectric projects.

The Senate unanimously approved two bills that had been passed by the House in February that streamline the procedure for licensing small hydroelectric projects.   The bills will now be sent to the President’s desk to be enacted into law.

The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act, which was sponsored by Reps. Reps. Cathy McMorris-Rogers (R-Wash.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), focuses on administrative actions that can be taken to advance conventional hydropower resources. It unanimously passed the House earlier this year.

Similarly, the Bureau of Reclamation Small Conduit Hydropower Development and Rural Jobs Act, which was sponsored by Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Colo.) and Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), passed the House earlier this year by a vote of 416-7.

Only 3 percent of the 80,000 dams in the United States are set up to generate electricity. That makes hydropower a significant source of untapped potential for generating cost-effective, carbon-free energy.  Capitalizing on the power potential of existing dams, pipes and conduits can generate more renewable energy and cut the nation's carbon footprint.  (NYT, 8/2/2013, Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee)