House Passes Legislation to Support Affordable and Reliable Hydropower

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, celebrated the House passage of S.1020, which will ensure access to hydropower for communities across the United States.

“As we work to secure our grid and unleash American energy, hydropower can deliver affordable and reliable electricity to American families,” said Chairman Guthrie. “Today’s passage of the ‘Build More Hydro’ bill provides the essential permitting reform needed to ensure that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) can extend construction deadlines for critical hydropower projects in communities across the country.”

“Hydropower remains one of the cornerstones of America’s energy system, delivering reliable baseload power to roughly 30 million homes and businesses and providing nearly 40 percent of our black start capacity,” said Chairman Latta.“The House passage of S. 1020 is an important step forward, giving FERC the flexibility to extend construction timelines for key projects that were delayed by pandemic-era supply chain disruptions and shutdowns.”

BACKGROUND:

S.1020, which was introduced by Sen. Steve Daines (MT), passed the U.S. Senate with unanimous consent in July 2025, and will extend construction deadlines for critical hydropower projects nationwide and increase American energy production.

The legislation requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects.