A bill to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower projects.

Sponsor: Steve Daines (Republican-MT)March 13, 2025

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Held at the desk.

Hydropower projects could get up to 6 more years to begin construction

This bill would let companies building certain hydropower projects get up to six more years to start construction. Currently, they only have eight years to begin. This change would help projects that received their licenses before March 13, 2020, and some whose licenses recently expired.

What Would Change

Today, companies building hydropower projects have a maximum of 8 years to begin construction, even with extensions from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. After this bill, certain hydropower projects (those licensed before March 13, 2020) could get up to an additional 6 years. This would make their total time to start construction potentially up to 14 years. The bill would also allow for the reinstatement of some licenses that have already expired.

Key Provisions

Defines "covered projects" as hydropower projects that received their licenses from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission before March 13, 2020.
Lets the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission give companies building these covered projects up to an additional 6 years to start construction, beyond the current 8-year limit.
Specifies that these extra 6 years would be granted in up to three separate 2-year periods.
Allows the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to bring back licenses for covered projects that expired between December 31, 2023, and the date this bill becomes law.