06/05/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/05/2025 17:19
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Kim Schrier's M.D. (WA-08) bipartisan bill, the Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act (H.R. 3657), passed through the Energy Subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This bill will support clean, reliable, and affordable energy for Washington state ratepayers by enhancing efficiency and transparency for all parties involved in the hydropower dam relicensing process. Hydropower dams must relicense their dams with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in order to continue operating a facility every 30 to 50 years. Congresswoman Schrier introduced this bill alongside Congressman Russ Fulcher (ID-01).
"Over half of the energy produced in Washington State comes from hydropower, making it an essential part of our state's economy, future, and clean energy goals," said Congresswoman Schrier. "Chip manufacturing and data center expansion are driving energy demand through the roof, and it's critical that we meet the moment. By providing transparency on the hydropower dam relicensing process, we can better inform all parties and streamline the process. I'm thrilled to work with both parties on this to bring this closer to the President's desk."
"Hydropower is an essential and dependable baseload energy source for the Northwest," said Congressman Fulcher. "I am proud to support the Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act, H.R. 3657, with my colleague Representative Kim Schrier of Washington. This legislation requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to report annually-rather than every three years-on its progress in getting crucial hydropower facilities relicensed. FERC has not demonstrated its ability to license and relicense facilities in a timely manner to meet the growing demands of the region and support this clean energy. More congressional oversight is needed to increase transparency, address bottlenecks, and help ensure applicants can move through FERC's process more efficiently."
According to a DOE report, FERC relicensing activity is set to more than double in the coming decade. On average, relicensing a hydropower facility takes between seven to ten years to complete. This legislation will help maintain resource adequacy in the Pacific Northwest by requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to provide an annual report to Congress on the status of the relicensing process for each application for a renewed hydropower dam license. The bill now moves to the Full Committee of Energy and Commerce for consideration.
"The Hydropower Relicensing Transparency Act is a commonsense, bipartisan step toward greater accountability and public trust in how our rivers are managed," said Thomas O'Keefe, PhD, Director of Policy and Science, American Whitewater. "By requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to provide annual updates on the status of pending hydropower relicensing proceedings, this bill empowers communities, Tribes, resource agencies, and stakeholders with the information they need to ensure that these critical decisions reflect today's environmental values, energy priorities, and public interests."
"I thank Rep. Schrier and the Energy Subcommittee of E&C for advancing this important legislation for the hydropower industry. At a time of rising energy demand, we need to protect as much clean energy as we can," said Malcolm Woolf, President and CEO of the National Hydropower Association. "Hydropower can help ensure Americans' electricity is reliable and affordable for decades to come, but it's hampered by a prohibitively long, costly, and disorganized relicensing process that could ultimately take many GW of energy off the grid. This bill is a good first step to ensuring a more transparent regulatory process, and we urge the full House to pass it swiftly."