The House passed a bill Tuesday extending the deadlines for hydropower construction projects, sending it to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign it into law.
The bill, S. 1020, from Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.), would authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the construction start period for hydropower projects licensed before March 2020 by up to six years, in two-year increments.
“Our country needs this hydropower. We need all forms of power. But this in particular is something that will help us provide a critical role in meeting the growing demand we see throughout our country,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), who introduced a companion bill, H.R. 2072.
The legislation could benefit more than three dozen hydropower projects in 15 states, lawmakers and several prominent industry groups have said. The House passed the measure by a 394-14 vote.
