House advances pumped storage development bill

The U.S House of Representatives advanced this week the Bureau of Reclamation Pumped Storage Hydropower Development Act, which would authorize expanded pumped storage hydropower at select Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) facilities.

Subcommittee on Water, Power, and Oceans Chairman Doug Lamborn (R-CO) introduced the bill, HR 1967.

“For an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy we need ‘all-of-the-above’ energy infrastructure,” Chairman of
the House Committee of Natural Resources Rob Bishop (R-UT) said. “This bill bolsters a diverse and strong domestic power supply through the expansion of pumped water storage, providing greater certainty to hydropower markets and more affordable energy to the American consumer.”

H.R. 1967 would also streamline the permitting of non-federal pumped storage hydroelectric projects and seek to clear up regulatory permitting confusion for some of these projects.

“[T]he Bureau of Reclamation Pumped Storage Hydropower Development Act looks to pave the way for additional clean hydropower generation by clearing up regulatory permitting confusion at existing Bureau of Reclamation facilities…” Lamborn said. “[It] will help pave the way for more pumped storage by incentivizing developers, who will in turn pay the American taxpayers for the use of federal facilities.”