Native American tribes are lining up to defend a federal policy giving them veto power over hydropower projects on their land after Energy Secretary Chris Wright requested its reversal.
Wright last month asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to initiate a rulemaking to scrap a policy requiring tribes’ approval before a project could get a preliminary permit. That policy, Wright said, had created an “untenable regime” where FERC had “effectively delegated its exclusive statutory authority to issue preliminary permits to third parties.”
“For America to continue dominating global energy markets, we must remove unnecessary burdens to the development of critical infrastructure, including hydropower projects,” Wright wrote.
But tribes say the policy, which FERC adopted in 2024, gives them a vital role in protecting their land and water resources. By requiring consultation up front, they say, project developers can avoid legal challenges later in the approval process and can craft projects that fit better with a tribe’s priorities.
