Rep. McMorris Rodgers introduces legislation to update hydropower relicensing processes

Congresswoman and Co-Chair of the Congressional Northwest Energy Caucus Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) recently
introduced the Hydropower Regulatory Modernization Act of 2017 to modernize and streamline hydropower relicensing processes.

Specifically, the bill would change the definition of renewable energy to correctly include hydropower. It would also enable the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend a preliminary permit for an additional four years and direct FERC to establish a schedule following the filing of a licensing application.

The legislation is designed to support the development of small hydropower and conduit projects using emerging technologies.

“Hydropower plays a major role in our economy and energy supply in Eastern Washington. It is clean, safe, reliable, renewable, and affordable,” McMorris Rodgers said. “On average, it takes only 18 months to license a new natural gas facility, but it can take up to 10 years or longer to license a new hydropower project or relicense an existing facility. As the largest source of renewable energy in the United States, we need to modernize the way we license and relicense hydropower and this legislation will do that.”

Hydropower makes up approximately 70 percent of the energy production in Washington state. McMorris Rodgers also introduced this legislation last Congress.