Hydropower Licensing Affordability Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9337
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Energy
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-18: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-01T08:08:02Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation amends the Federal Power Act to update the hydropower licensing process by narrowing the scope of conditions that federal agencies may impose on projects.
Key Provisions
- Section 2 modifies Section 4(e) to require that conditions on federal reservations be limited to those that reasonably mitigate the direct adverse effects of the project on the reservation.
- Section 3 modifies Section 18 to require that fishway prescriptions be limited to those that reasonably mitigate the direct adverse effects of the project on fish populations in the relevant river system.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The amendments add explicit limiting language to existing authority. Under current law, agencies could impose conditions they “deem necessary.” The bill restricts this to only reasonable mitigation of direct adverse effects, reducing the breadth of possible requirements.
Potential Impacts
- May lower costs and shorten timelines for hydropower project licensing by limiting required environmental measures.
- Could affect federal agencies responsible for reviewing licenses, such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and resource agencies that set conditions.
- Limited direct effects on citizens or international relations are evident from the text.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Hydropower project developers and operators.
- Federal agencies involved in licensing and condition-setting.
- Native American tribes with reservations that may be impacted.
- State and federal fish and wildlife agencies.
- Environmental organizations and river users.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill clarifies and narrows federal authority under the Federal Power Act without altering the underlying constitutional framework for regulating hydropower on navigable waters. It represents a targeted adjustment to existing statutory standards rather than a broad policy overhaul.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (14)
Rep. Fulcher, Russ [R-ID-1], Rep. Amodei, Mark E. [R-NV-2], Rep. Hurd, Jeff [R-CO-3], Rep. Zinke, Ryan K. [R-MT-1], Rep. Weber, Randy K. Sr. [R-TX-14], Rep. Crank, Jeff [R-CO-5], Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4], Rep. Evans, Gabe [R-CO-8], Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5], Rep. Downing, Troy [R-MT-2], Rep. Griffith, H. Morgan [R-VA-9], Rep. Gallagher, James [R-CA-1], Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9], Rep. Maloy, Celeste [R-UT-2]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-18: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2026-06-18: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-18: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Hydropower Licensing Affordability Act — issued 2026-06-18 — PDF (2 pages)